Dennis Rodman's Tragic Real-Life Story

As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In Rodman's case, hell is North Korea. A country suffocating in the grip of dictatorship, North Korea has a hideous history of human rights abuses, including terrible prisons and forced marriages. Rodman, however, has tried to see the bright side of a pitch-black situation. When asked if he knew about the gulags and government oppression, Rodman responded, "Yeah, but I haven't seen it."

Instead, he sees Kim Jong-un. Most people consider Kim a callous killer, perhaps because he does things like executes people with anti-aircraft guns. But Rodman described the chubby-cheeked despot as "more like a big kid" who "loves to have a good time." Kim also loves basketball, which has Rodman convinced that the path to peace with North Korea lies in "basketball diplomacy." The Chicago Tribune attributed that perception to a juvenile view of politics and positive change. But what if Rodman sees himself in Kim Jong-un?

It seems significant that Rodman, an explosive mixture of insidious whims and childish innocence, detected childishness in Kim. Regardless, it speaks volumes about Rodman. Rodman's tears, meanwhile, speak oceans. While extolling Kim to CNN in 2018, he weepily recalled receiving death threats for defending North Korea. Maybe when he tries to show how misunderstood and secretly good Kim is, he's secretly talking about himself.

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