NBA star Dennis Rodman rumoured to be attending nuclear summit with Donald Trump and 'friend for life' Kim Jong-un

Friends: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and former NBA star Dennis Rodman
KCNA/AFP/Getty Images
Chloe Chaplain6 June 2018

NBA star Dennis Rodman, who has developed an unlikely friendship with Kim Jong Un, is rumoured to be attending the North Korea leader’s summit with Donald Trump.

The athlete is due to travel to Singapore, the location of the highly-anticipated meeting, next week, the New York Post reported.

His agent has not confirmed Rodman’s attendance but unidentified sources said basketball player would act as an “ambassador of goodwill” between the two leaders.

“No matter what you might think about his presence. One thing’s for sure the ratings will be huge,” the source told the newspaper.

The pair struck up an unlikely friendship after the sporting star visited the country in 2013
EPA/KCNA

“A lot of times in situations that involve complex diplomacy countries like to identify ambassadors of goodwill and whether you agree with it or not Dennis Rodman fits the bill.”

His representative said the trip had not yet been confirmed but that Rodman would be willing to go if he were needed or invited.

Rodman has visited North Korea five times in the past – after first travelling there for a basketball exhibition in 2013 – and described Kim as a “friend for life”.

Donald Trump: The US is set to travel to Singapore for the meeting next week
AP

He has been credited in some part for reducing hostility between the two leaders after telling TMZ he presented the North Korean leader with a copy of Mr Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal,” for his birthday in 2017.

“I think [Kim] didn’t realise who Donald Trump was at that time … until he started to read the book and started to get to understand him.” he said in an interview with the website.

“I don’t want to take all the credit. I don’t want to sit there and say, ‘I did this, I did that.’ My intention was to go over and be a sports ambassador to North Korea so people understand how the people are in North Korea.”

The two leaders are due to meet at a luxury resort on Sentosa Island – the Capella Hotel – at 9 am local time on June 12.

The President is hoping the meeting will give him the opportunity to secure a nuclear deal with the North Koreans, seeking for Kim to give up his nuclear program.

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