"Okay, I'll do it. I'll go" - Dennis Rodman claims Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen declined the invitation to go to North Korea
In 2013, Dennis Rodman attracted a lot of international attention when he made a trip to North Korea and even met its supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. The hoops legend ended up making a "friend for life" and had hoped to be a conciliator between the U.S. and the isolationist nation.
As it turned out, Rodman wasn't the first (or second) option to come to North Korea. Kim and his family were apparently huge Chicago Bulls fans, so an invitation was sent to Michael Jordan, who understandably declined. Scottie Pippen was next on the list, but the retired star also said no. Enter "The Worm."
"Then they asked me," Dennis told GQ in 2021. "I said, 'Okay, I'll do it. I'll go.' Little did I know…"
A surprising trip
Believe it or not, Rodman claimed he was unaware of North Korea's political landscape. He thought his visit would just consist of signing autographs, taking pictures with fans, and playing hoops.
However, upon landing in the country, the five-time NBA champ was shocked by what he saw, even thinking that he was going to be sent to prison.
Obviously, he wasn't thrown in jail. Instead, Rodman got the VIP treatment, as his accommodation was the presidential suite in the best hotel, and he was assigned his own chefs and maids. Kim also didn't send an envoy to accompany the Hall of Famer, as he was Dennis' company almost throughout the latter's stay there.
Perhaps the Asian leader was thrilled that Rodman accepted the invitation instead of Jordan or Pippen. If it had been either of his first two options, he probably wouldn't have had that grand of a time.
Return to the north
Interestingly, Rodman once said that Kim had wanted him to be a permanent resident in the northern half of the Korean peninsula. It's unclear why he didn't accept the generous offer, although he would have likely had to renounce his American citizenship if he opted to stay in North Korea for the rest of his life.
The two-time All-Star has decided to travel back several times. In less than a year, he visited the country four times, bringing along other former NBA players to participate in an exhibition match to celebrate Kim's birthday in January 2014.
It took more than three years before Rodman was able to return to North Korea amid rising tensions then between the nation and the United States because of the former's weapons programs.
After another trip in 2018 to participate in the North Korea-United States summit, there has been no documentation of him visiting again since then.
