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Rodman says he will help train North Korean hoops team for 2016 Olympics

US-NKOREA-DIPLOMACY-BASKET-RODMAN

Former-NBA player Dennis Rodman holds a news conference in New York on September 9, 2013 to discuss his recent trip to North Korea. Rodman said that he will put together a “basketball diplomacy” event involving players from North Korea. The event will be sponsored by the Irish online betting company Paddy Power. At the news conference, he called Kim Jong Un, ruler of the repressive state, a “very good guy.” AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

North Korea’s basketball team has an uphill struggle to even get into the 2016 Rio Olympics — they need to beat China in the Asia qualifying tournament in 2015, or at least play well enough in that tournament to get invited to the 2016 pre-Olympic qualifying tournament (the best teams from around the globe not already in) and win one of the three spots up for grabs there. Let’s be kind and say a team that hasn’t competed in FIBA’s Asia championships since 1999 is unlikely to make that cut.

But Dennis Rodman says he is going to help North Korea get there.

Rodman, fresh off his second visit with his friend North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, will help train the North Koreans for the Olympics, he said at a press conference on Monday (as reported by Time).

Rodman also said he is putting together a couple exhibition games in North Korea where he will bring former NBA players over, with the first of the games scheduled for Jan. 8 (Kim’s birthday). Rodman talked about “basketball diplomacy” and how these games would be a good thing.

I don’t know what to say about this, other than it’s just Rodman being Rodman. I really think this ironic quote from Rodman at his presser pretty much sums the entire thing up:

“I’ll tell you guys one thing: take me seriously.”