Welcome to north Korea,
the world's most isolated and repressive state,
a country that's always been on the outside,
ever since its birth at the end of the second world war,
when Korea was torn in two.
The Soviet union helped to establish
the Soviet union helped to establish
a communist state in the north
and installed Kim il-sung as leader.
Kim's failed attempt to conquer the south during the Korean war
led to a four-kilometer-wide
buffer zone being built between the two nations --
The most heavily militarized border on the planet.
Today, north Korea remains an anomaly,
cut off both politically and geographically
from the modern world.
But one man is on a mission to change all that --
With a basketball.
For the first time, this is what happened
when Dennis rodman went to north Korea
and staged the most controversial sporting event
the world has never seen.
To get this story moving, let's rewind to September 2013
and a rather unusual news conference.
We're here today for Dennis rodman
to make a historic announcement following his recent visit
to north Korea.
The ministry of sports of the d.P.R. Of Korea invites
the ministry of sports of the d.P.R. Of Korea invites.
Mr. Dennis rodman and his colleagues to return
to d.P.R. Korea to organize a basketball tournament,
including the best players from d.P.R.K.
And a team of 12 former nba players
to be held in January 2014.
Dennis rodman, north Korea, and paddy power?
Now, there's a combination you don't see every day.
So just what had brought an ex-nba star,
the world's most vilified country,
and an Irish gambling company together?
Well, it all started a couple of years ago
when Dennis' agent received an unexpected phone call.
I would say about August of 2012,
I was contacted by an executive at vice media,
and he said would Dennis consider
being part of a documentary for hbo
to go over as their figurehead?
It was more of an informal
basketball diplomacy type of trip
with some Harlem globetrotters.
And they sent me an e-mail picture of Kim jong-Un
in I guess it was maybe college,
shooting some baskets,
wearing a "91 rodman" bulls Jersey.
Wearing a "91 rodman" bulls Jersey.
Actually, the guy in the picture was Kim jong-Un's brother,
but let's keep going, shall we?
They called up and said, you know,
we want you to go to north Korea and do a documentary
and play in a game with the Harlem globetrotters.
And I thought it was a joke. I said, "well, whatever."
I've played with the Harlem globetrotters a couple times.
Next think you know, the word got out that, you know,
I'm going to north Korea, then all of a sudden,
all the negativity started to come out about north Korea,
how, you know, the country's bad,
how they kidnap people.
It's crazy, you know, you never come back.
And just all these different type
of wild, wild, animated stories.
So I said, "it don't really matter to me.
I've been to worse.
I've looked death in the face too many times in my life,
so it doesn't really matter to me."
In case you didn't know,
from humble beginnings, Dennis rodman became
one of the greatest basketball players
the world has ever seen.
This is where we'd like to show
some incredible footage of Dennis' playing career,
but, unfortunately, the nba, which owns all of the footage,
has flat-out refused to take part in this documentary --
Has flat-out refused to take part in this documentary --
So we can't.
What we can show you
is some of Dennis' barmy behavior off the court,
which is what really caught the world's attention.
His hair, piercings, tattoos, and kooky dress sense
made him a press sensation.
And then there was his fling with Madonna
and his marriage, albeit swift, to Carmen electra.
After hanging up his nikes,
Dennis continued to be the most flamboyant,
in-your-face American celebrity around.
So you wouldn't have thought that he'd be welcomed
in a country that believes in order, conformity,
and little freedom of expression.
So we went to the game.
The game is packed. It's full.
I'm sitting on the bench, and all of a sudden,
he walks in.
This little, short guy.
You know, like, wait a minute. Who is that?
I said, "that must be the President of the country."
And he walks in, with him is his wife
and all his leaders and stuff like that.
So, anyway, I walked down there.
And that's basically how it all happened.
Once the game was over, we got invited --
The team got invited to his house --
Well, not his house, his palace,
or whatever you want to call it -- for dinner.
Before I left, me and him were sitting there talking.
Man, I said, "you know, I'll be back again."
And he said, "I would love for you to come back."
And four months later, Dennis did return,
jumping on an army helicopter
to the man they call the marshal's
east coast holiday home.
Along for the ride, his personal assistant, vo.
I'll tell you what, I was the only one
in the office that, you know, back home
that was really wanted, you know, wanted to go.
Other people were not sure and, you know, they've heard,
you know, a lot of things through the media.
And I was like, you know, "I'm going!"
You know?
If Dennis can go, Dennis is like my brother,
I'm going.
I want to be there.
I want to see what it's all about.
You know, I want to see the truth.
Everything is just so, like,
just five-star, six-star, seven-star.
It was just a great day every day, and we had so much --
There was so much entertainment, so much fun,
there was so much entertainment, so much fun,
just so much relaxation,
because everything was just so -- so perfect.
Last trip he was there, he stood up and did a toast
with the whole regime, Kim, and his wife there.
And he's like, "marshal,
you're father and your grandfather
did some fucked-up shit.
But, you, you're trying to make a change,
and I love you for that."
And he did a toast,
and Dennis and vo said
they thought either they were gonna be done right then
or they didn't know what to expect.
Or they didn't know what to expect.
He said Kim stood up, five-second pause,
and he raised the glass and smiled
and then started clapping.
And he's like, "after that,
I knew I could get away with anything."
When we really actually talked, talked, talked,
I mean, we really, really got really close with each other --
As far as, like, as a friendship, bond-wise.
While they were kicking back,
the marshal opened up about Dennis' previous trip.
He didn't get the Harlem globetrotters.
He didn't get the fact that
that's what they do for a living.
He didn't like the show. He told me right off the bat.
He said, well, he didn't want that. He hate that.
He just laughed. I said, "yeah, I figured you hated that one."
He wanted to see a basketball game.
So I think that's where the idea of us coming together,
saying, you know,
"let's put on a basketball game, a real game."
And his interpreter said, you know,
"you know his birthday is January 8th, right?"
So automatically, I clicked in quick.
I said, "we're gonna have a game here in January,
why not do it on his birthday?"
On his birthday.
So I say, "shit, you know, that would be perfect."
He's telling me where he was.
He goes, "well, we've been on a tropical island.
It's like his camp David, but it's, you know,
this gorgeous, remote island.
And we were jet-skiing and eating and hanging out.
I'm the first non-north Korean to hold his baby.
And we got pictures,
and guess what."
I said, "what?"
"The game's happening January 8th."
I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe it.
I said, "you've got it --"
I was thinking, "you mean, no attorney reviewed it?"
He goes, "you think you need an attorney with these people?
We don't need no attorney."
Dennis did need one thing though -- money.
Putting on such a big event halfway around the world
is going to require a lot of it.
But luckily for Dennis, in a moment of pure serendipity,
he was about to cross paths with the perfect sponsor.
One of the biggest gambling companies
in Ireland and the u.K., paddy power is well known
for its headline-grabbing marketing strategies,
and it was one of its cheekiest p.R. Stunts yet
that led to it first meeting Dennis.
It started in a very, very unprecedented circumstance.
It was the first papal resignation
it was the first papal resignation
in the past 600 years.
We sent our people out to Rome.
We were taking bets on who the next pope would be.
We were also offering a money-back special --
Money back if the next pope is black,
because the two favorites were black cardinals --
Cardinal arinze and cardinal turkson from Ghana.
So it looked very likely from a betting point of view
that the next pope would actually be black.
The two biggest stories on that particular day
were paddy power taking bets on who the next pope would be
and Dennis rodman on his first trip out to north Korea.
And we thought, it could be an interesting synergy here
if we bring the two of them together.
And, quite literally, 24 hours later,
Dennis was on a plane to Rome to help out Rory and paddy
in Vatican city.
In Rome, Dennis told paddy power
about his agreement to Kim jung-Un
to put on a basketball game in north Korea.
And paddy power jumped at the chance to get involved.
Paddy power came out of the blue and said, "we'll do it."
You know, they're one of those type of companies
where they just -- They love entertainment,
they love excitement, they love intriguing things
that's gonna actually, you know, put them on the map.
The game is planned for January 8...
That brings us up to the news conference
when the game was revealed to the world.
Dennis has painted the trip as a way to bridge the gap
between north Korea and the United States.
Now, that might sound like a pipe dream,
but it's exactly what happened in the 1970s
when a team of U.S. ping-pong players traveled to China.
The visit eased tensions between the two nations,
the visit eased tensions between the two nations,
and two years later,
Richard Nixon paid his own visit to the communist state.
40 years on, could Dennis pave the way
for the current U.S. government to visit north Korea?
It would be a long-shot
given the country's rocky relationship.
But as recently as 1994, the United States
and north Korea were on the brink of war,
after falling out
over north Korea's nuclear ambitions.
But president Bill Clinton -- Ever the charmer --
Sent his predecessor Jimmy Carter
on a diplomatic mission,
and Kim il-sung agreed
to put north Korea's nuclear plans on hold.
That all changed in the early years of the 21st century
when new leader Kim jung-il
put north Korea's nuclear program back in motion
after president George Bush
took a somewhat different approach to his predecessor
by publicly naming north Korea,
alongside Iran and Iraq, in an...
Axis of evil.
That brings us to the current administration
and president Obama's tactic of strategic Patience --
Which basically means refusing to speak
to the third generation and new leader Kim jung-Un
until north Korea agrees to disarm.
Of course, that means Dennis' willingness
to converse with north Korea flies in the face
of the U.S.A.'s current foreign policy.
No wonder the white house is keen
to distance itself from his efforts.
Mr. rodman is on a private trip.
And our views about north Korea
and its failure to meet its obligations
have not changed,
and our views about Kenneth bae have not changed.
And our views about Kenneth bae have not changed.
Ah, yes, Kenneth bae, an Evangelical Christian
who was arrested in 2012
while leading a tour group through north Korea.
He was later charged
with planning to overthrow the government
and sentenced to 15 years hard labor.
It's yet another cause of friction,
and Dennis finds himself under pressure,
as a personal friend of Kim jung-Un's,
to help push for bae's release.
And then if that wasn't enough for Dennis to contend with,
just one day before he's due to fly out, this happens.
"Despicable human scum worse than a dog."
That's how north Korean state media
described the once-powerful uncle.
An uncle of north Korean leader Kim jung-Un
has been executed for trying to overthrow the government.
Reports from north Korea tonight
say the second-most-powerful man in the country
has been executed.
Jang sung-thaek, the uncle of the country's leader
had already been stripped of all his powers.
Today, a military tribunal ordered his execution
after he was found guilty of treason.
When the shocking news about jang song-thaek breaks,
Dennis is enjoying his last night of revelry
in his hometown of Miami.
The story has turned an even greater spotlight on his trip.
Does Dennis really know what he's getting himself into?
I'm doing a really, really good basketball game
in the world, and no one's ever done this.
You know, they got their Jay-zs, their beyoncés, stuff like that.
None of these people in the world
that's way more famous than I am are doing what I'm doing.
I don't want people to see...
You know, I get death threats --
I get death threats a lot.
"Why you doing this, Dennis? Why you doing that?
Why are you doing this, this, that?"
I'm not doing shit.
I'm not doing a goddamn thing.
All I'm doing is trying to keep everything together.
And show people that, hey, god damn, man, come on.
What am I doing?
And it's like,
and it's like,
"well, don't you know that he just killed his uncle,
chopped his head off?"
I said, "no, I didn't know that. What?"
"Did you know he kills people a lot."
"No, I didn't know that."
Do we in America? Yeah!
What?
Why am I doing it? Why am I trying to change shit?
You know, I'm not Martin Luther King.
I'm not this bullshit.
If someone will shoot me, please do it today.
Do it fucking today, right now.
I'm right here. Fuck it.
That's what I tell people.
I say, "man, I can't sit there and say, 'hey, you know what?
Hey, marshal, can you let this guy free?
Mm, really?
Hey, guy, can you do that for me?
Can you do one thing?
Can I go over and get him and take him back to America
and stuff like that?'"
but, like...
That's not my job.
You know, I'm just trying to open the door, that's it.
And when I say that people do one thing,
I want to say --
♪ Someone's knockin' at the door ♪
♪ someone's ringin' the bell ♪
You know about this.
♪ Someone's knockin' at the door ♪
♪ Someone's ringin' the bell ♪
♪ Do me a favor ♪
♪ Open the door ♪
♪ And let us in ♪
Say, "hi! How you doing?"
How you doing, man?
Have a happy holiday. Happy holiday.
Run up and get a picture of me then.
And so the following day, it's a defiant Dennis
who sets out for north Korea.
Despite the negative media reaction,
not everyone is against him.
And that includes this man, American Daniel pinkston,
an expert in north Korean politics
who turned up at the paddy power news conference.
He supports Dennis' trip
and believes his presence in north Korea
could have a positive effect on the country.
I would argue to change policy, first you have to change a mind.
You have to have some new thinking,
you have to have a different idea to change the policy.
You have to have a different idea to change the policy.
So if they are not exposed to any outside information,
including media or any kind of news information --
Books, any type of information --
And including human, people-to-people exchanges,
whether it's students, basketball players,
or anyone else,
if we close all of that off
and north Korea's completely sealed shut,
how is that going to make it more likely
for people to change their minds, to get new ideas,
and change the policy?
So I'm kind of puzzled
when people have such a strong emotional reaction
to this type of project.
I don't see the reason or rationale behind it.
And, yes, the regime is repugnant.
I don't like the regime, right?
But by isolating them,
how is it going to increase the likelihood of any change?
After finally winning the support of someone
in an official capacity, Dennis arrives in Beijing,
his last stop en route to north Korea,
where he meets up with the rest of his entourage.
There's his assistant, vo, Rory from paddy power,
and another, more unlikely, travel buddy,
a science buff and professor, Joe,
who got involved through a suitably bizarre route.
It was a charity auction, and i...
You know, put down a bid on the chance to meet Dennis
after his first trip to Korea,
because I was gonna be spending the summer in Korea
teaching human genetics, and I just wanted
to meet him and talk to him because I thought
what he's trying to do with sports is similar
to what I was trying to do with science.
And, you know, I think science, music, culture, sports
are all things that are innocuous
where you can build relationships between people.
And I told him, you know, if there's anything
I could do to help, all he had to do was ask.
I get an e-mail from this guy, Joe.
He's a professor, and he goes to north Korea
and teaches about American culture.
And he's got a friend of his, Michael spavor,
who, you know, does these tours of north Korea.
Who, you know, does these tours of north Korea.
I'm like, "this is ridiculous."
It's just, like, what are the odds?
I'm like, "Joe," I was like,
"we need you right now more than you need us."
I'm like, "I don't know who to trust out there."
I'm like, "can your friend possibly -- bring him."
And he goes, "oh, absolutely.
We'd love to talk to you about that."
He goes, "and I'll tell you what."
He goes, "we'll help arrange it
as long as we can go and be a part of it."
And so this rather curious band of characters
sets off on the final leg of its journey --
A three-hour hop over the iron curtain
a three-hour hop over the iron curtain
into north Korea.
Dennis asked me last night,
you know, he goes, "why are you on board?
Why are you doing this?"
And I said, "I'm doing this because, first of all,
and I said, "I'm doing this because, first of all,
over the many times that I've been to Korea,
I've grown to just love being here.
I like the people. The people are excellent.
The food's great.
It's just a wonderful place to visit.
And I look forward to the chance of trying to help bridge
this gap that we have between what Americans think about Korea
and what Koreans think about America."
And Americans don't have an accurate perception
of what things are like here,
understandably so, because they don't get
any accurate coverage of what the situation is.
Any accurate coverage of what the situation is.
They don't know, you know?
And I try to tell people what I see here, my experiences.
I've always thought the Korean people
are so friendly and warm and inviting,
even if I am a U.S. imperialist bastard,
they're still nice to me.
And always friendly, and they're always warm.
Really nice to meet you.
How you doing?
There he is.
Back home again.
Good to see you, buddy.
Oh!
Once again, Dennis has arrived on north Korean soil.
And after settling in his hotel,
he's taken straight to an 18-course welcome dinner
with the north Korean sports minister.
He's told that Kim jung-Un is too busy to attend,
which is no surprise
seeing as he's just purged his uncle.
In the marshal's absence,
plans are made for the next few days.
And for the good health
of our dear, respected marshal, Kim jong-Un,
the leader of our party and people.
And for the good health of Mr. Dennis rodman
and for the good health of Mr. Dennis rodman
and all the party members here,
I would like to propose a toast.
It's a relaxed first evening.
But tomorrow, it's down to business.
The next morning, Dennis is up early and ready for action.
The January game is just a few weeks away,
and Dennis is in a race to get everything ready in time.
His first stop is the stadium
where the historic match-up will take place.
Waiting for Dennis is a select group
of north Korea's best basketball players.
It's now down to Dennis to pick the very best
for the final north Korean team
that will face off against the Americans
on January 8th.
These are two teams? Yes.
Let's play against one in a game
so I can see 'em.
So how good are the north Korean players?
Well, better than you might think.
Due to the country's isolation,
they won't be making waves
on the international scene any time soon.
Can that fucker shoot, though!
But in communist states like north Korea,
athletes and national sports teams are important cogs
in the state propaganda machine --
Lauded by the leader to prove what a good job he's doing
and how powerful a nation he's created.
Oh, there you go. All right. Nice.
Look at him, right?
You. You.
Oh, they're moving now. Now they're moving.
And now they're moving.
Basketball just happens to be
Kim jung-Un's favorite sport, too, so a lot of time and money
has been put into developing young talent.
I tell you, these nba folk
have got their work cut out, I think.
Some of them are gonna be a little bit pudgy
and a little bit slow,
and these guys are very nimble and quick.
It's gonna be interesting. It's gonna be interesting.
But the nba guys are taller.
Yeah.
Let's line 'em up.
So, basically, what I'm doing,
I'm picking 12 of the best players here
to play against the nba all-stars.
Make sure they're not disappointed
because I didn't pick them,
just because they're, you know...
It's gonna be an awesome feeling, man,
'cause you guys never played
in front of professional athletes,
and these guys are very good that I'm bringing over.
They're very good.
Over the next few days,
Dennis is kept busy
whipping the north Korean team into shape,
sharing all the know-how he's built up
over a decade at the top of the game.
And one thing becomes surprisingly clear --
Boy, can they shoot.
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
Defense, defense, defense, defense, defense!
Oh!
There you go. There you go.
Come on! You got to make it.
Oh! Come on, come on, come on, come on!
Oh.
Don't look so damn happy.
Thank you, thank you.
All right, guys.
All right, guys. Thank you.
With the training complete,
Dennis has seen firsthand
how north Korea's investment in basketball
is starting to bear fruit.
The north Korean officials are keen to show him
more of the same,
and before he can catch his breath, he's taken
on a specially organized sports tour of Pyongyang.
On a specially organized sports tour of Pyongyang.
Do you guys practice like this every day?
Dennis and his entourage are taxied around the capital
from one site to another.
Following him wherever he goes is a camera crew
from the state-run television station.
It's a big scoop having
such a high-profile celebrity in the country,
and they fully intend to make the most of the opportunity.
And the north Korean officials can't resist slipping in a visit
to a war museum full of captured American aircraft.
Luckily, that doesn't overly dampen the group's spirits.
It was -- it was surreal. It was extraordinary.
It was -- you know, the cold was, you know,
the first thing you notice -- Minus 10, minus 12.
Clear blue skies, very beautiful.
I think it's the nearest thing you can kind of liken it to
is a real-life "Truman show."
You know you're being watched the whole moment.
It's very produced.
You can't, you know, move around on your own autonomy,
you can't leave the hotel without your minders.
But, you know, you're told what you can film,
you know, you're told who you can speak to.
But the people were lovely. They treated us very well.
What Dennis probably doesn't suspect
is that he's been used for a spot of propaganda
to counter the image of Pyongyang
as a dour, depressed place
and to show off the best of it to everyone back home.
Our man Daniel pinkston has his own views on that.
I've been to north Korea five times.
The political promotion and propaganda,
and that's true, and that's real.
But there's also just a human side to that as well, right?
Someone, their hometown is Paris,
and someone comes from Vietnam, they come to Paris,
you're gonna show them the louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
They're gonna show them nice things,
not say, "well, let me go find the worst place in Paris."
You know, anybody's gonna do that.
So there's, yes, they want -- There is the element
that they want to manipulate for the propaganda value.
Yes, that's true,
but there's also a big part of it that's just human nature.
But there's also a big part of it that's just human nature.
The last stop of the tour is a new sports complex
where Dennis is asked to shoot a few baskets for the cameras.
Dennis was a rebounder, not a shooter,
but even so, he might need to dust off a few cobwebs
before the big game.
I can't shoot. I can't shoot.
Give me a ball. I can't shoot.
Shit!
That was like -- I'm tired.
I can't -- I don't know. I can't shoot the damn ball.
Shit!
Oh, my god!
Oh, come on!
Ah!
Finally.
It's just a few days until Christmas,
and it's time for Dennis and his entourage to head home
to spend some quality time with their friends and families.
As a nation, north Korea doesn't follow
any traditional sort of religion,
and they certainly don't celebrate Christmas.
But was Dennis disappointed that his friend Kim jong-Un
hadn't gotten into the spirit and stopped by for a visit?
Merry Christmas. Happy new year.
I'm not just coming over here to meet their leader,
the marshal.
I came over here to meet the basketball team,
to prepare a great game for the leader for his birthday.
And people will need to understand
that it was just not important for me
to meet him every time I come over,
because he has another greater job to do for his country.
I think it's safe to say pretty much...
So Dennis remains upbeat,
and with the first part of the trip
successfully under his belt, he arrives back in Beijing.
But what Dennis doesn't know is that while he's been away,
international interest in the game has erupted
and the world media is waiting for him.
♪ Silent night ♪
♪ Holy night ♪
♪ All is calm ♪
♪ All is bright ♪
♪ Round yon virgin ♪
♪ Mother and child ♪
♪ Holy infant ♪
Hey, Dennis, are you disappointed?
Are you disappointed that you didn't meet Kim jong-Un?
♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪
♪ Silent night ♪
♪ Holy night ♪
♪ All is calm ♪
♪ All is bright ♪
♪ Round yon virgin ♪
♪ Mother and child ♪
♪ Holy infant ♪
♪ So tender and mild ♪
♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪
Over the Christmas break,
the amount of negative press surrounding the game
mounts and mounts.
Dennis, the focal point of the media's anger.
And Dennis learns that as a result,
not everybody will be joining him
on the return journey to Pyongyang
in a fortnight's time.
Everything changed before Christmas.
Our collective view in terms of our participation in the project
our collective view in terms of our participation in the project
changed before Christmas.
And that had, obviously, to do with the purge.
North Korea was suddenly the subject
of intense, intense international scrutiny.
"Dramatic statement that Kim jong-Un
intends to be ruthless."
Fears of a new instability in north Korea.
Kim jong-Un is basically telling the elite in Pyongyang,
"if you're disloyal to me, you will be executed."
That made us reassess exactly what we were doing.
And that led us to a position
that we were no longer comfortable
being associated with the event.
Paddy power has pulled out,
which at first glance, was seen to be
a massive blow for Dennis.
Without them, his project
would never have gotten off the ground.
And it would have been fun to watch
a self-promoting gambling company
hanging out in a country
where both advertising and gambling are illegal.
But when Dennis arrives back in Beijing,
he doesn't seem too concerned.
Now paddy power are not around,
this is solely the Dennis rodman show.
No wonder he seems upbeat as he meets
his fellow American basketball players
who've signed up for the match.
Cliff Robinson. I played 18 years in the nba.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me.
Doug christie, played in the nba for 14 years,
from Los Angeles via Seattle, Washington.
From Los Angeles via Seattle, Washington.
Kenny Anderson. Played 14 years in the nba.
Coach high school ball now in Florida.
The number-one dunker in the world...
My name is guy dupree.
I'm from Paris, France, live in fort Myers, Florida.
I'm 26 years old, play in the euroleague.
Vin Baker. Played 13 years in the nba.
Currently finishing halfway through my masters program
at union seminary in New York.
At union seminary in New York.
Name's Andre pool,
also known as silk, you know, to the street ball world.
My name is Antoine Scott from north Carolina.
I graduated from wake forest.
One key member of the squad
is the former New York Knicks power forward Charles Smith.
Since leaving the nba, he's carved out a career
staging exhibition games around the world.
We're the first U.S. team to step on north Korea's soil
and have a game against their national team.
That's a fact.
We, from this point on,
we are going to -- Everybody in this room
is going to be bonded
for the rest of our lives in a historical, epic event.
You know, anyway, guys, it's amazing, guys.
Thank you guys for doing this.
You know, like I said, it's not for me.
It's for, like --
This is basically a game, pretty much, for the world.
And the one thing that I'm very fortunate --
I'm very fortunate in the fact that I actually
have an opportunity to be in their country,
and the marshal actually likes me.
And the marshal actually likes me.
And I'm not trying to be a politician.
I'm not trying to be this, you know, this world leader,
to try to, you know, rescue people and stuff like that.
This is all about sports.
This ain't nothing else besides that.
And when the media asks you guys anything -- because it's coming.
When we go to the airport, you're gonna see it.
It's gonna be a fucking motherfucker.
So when somebody asks you questions,
just keep it bland as hell.
You know, "we're just going to play a game.
Play a game, it's all about sports."
Keep it natural and cool.
They need something. They're like vultures.
They got to have something.
And they're coming to get something.
And our job is not to give them anything.
♪ I gotta get out of this place ♪
♪ It's been dragging me down for too long ♪
♪ And no one said it was easy ♪
♪ But I gotta go thinking on my own ♪
♪ I'm a man with a plan ♪
♪ And you got me writhing inside ♪
♪ Loaded up and ready to go ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ If you get one chance ♪
♪ You gotta take it ♪
♪ And if you get one shot ♪
♪ You gotta make it ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
♪ got no time for u-turns ♪
♪ Watching my dreams burn ♪
♪ If it all comes down to being a clown ♪
♪ You gotta believe me that... ♪
So Dennis' pals are here and for his fourth time,
he's on a flight to Pyongyang.
On the surface, it seems like everything is back on track --
Apart from one very significant thing.
Despite Dennis appearing to be in good spirits,
the Christmas break was a really stressful time.
He got a hammering in the press,
and he was hounded wherever he went,
which led to a number of painful family issues.
Which led to a number of painful family issues.
To cope with the added stress,
Dennis has started drinking -- A lot.
He's battled alcoholism for much of his adult life,
and with the game just a couple of days away,
it's not the best of times to be falling off the wagon.
Aw, come on!
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh ♪
♪ Been running away for so long ♪
♪ That I don't know where I'm going to ♪
♪ Don't look back anymore ♪
♪ 'Cause some day I'm gonna find the truth ♪
We got to go. We got to go.
♪ I'm a man with a plan ♪
♪ And you got me writhing inside ♪
♪ Loaded up and ready to go ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ If you get one chance ♪
♪ You gotta take it ♪
♪ And if you get one shot ♪
♪ You gotta make it ♪
New York City, north Korea!
This is wild!
♪ If you get one chance ♪
♪ If you get one shot ♪
The American team makes a short stop-off at the koryo hotel.
So what are the first thoughts?
I guess it's a culture shock in a lot of ways.
This is something that we haven't experienced.
I mean, I haven't personally.
I've been to a few countries, but this one is different.
So tonight will be an interesting experience
to see dinner.
Obviously, Dennis will be entertaining.
As Doug mentions, they're off
to a fancy gala dinner that's been held in the players' honor.
In attendance, a number of important dignitaries
and personal friends of Kim jong-Un.
And personal friends of Kim jong-Un.
Hey, guys.
Lookit -- All this shit.
Dennis, who has continued drinking since the flight,
gets things off to an interesting start
by holding the sports minister's hand
as they walk into the room.
I would like to express my thanks to Mr. Dennis rodman
for a civil visit to our country.
The resplendent marshal, Kim jong-Un,
has paid a deep attention
to the visit of Mr. rodman and his group.
I propose a toast.
After a warm welcome from the north Koreans,
it's now time for Dennis, as the guest of honor,
to deliver his own momentous speech.
I just want to thank --
♪ In the Navy ♪
I'm so sorry.
Anyway, um...
I want to thank all my guys here from America,
former nba players, for coming here.
It's very -- it's an honor to do what we're doing.
Oh, here we go again with the toasting.
God damn it, you got to toast, guys.
Got to toast. It's every two minutes.
I told you, it's every two minutes.
Jesus Christ!
Hey, vin Baker, you want to talk?
This is a tremendous opportunity for us, as former nba players,
to bring basketball here to your country.
To bring basketball here to your country.
And we really appreciate the opportunity.
And we hope that this is something special
that will last a lifetime
for you and your families as well.
So whatever we've heard about north Korea is in the past.
We are here for our eyes to see.
We are here because we wanted to be here.
We are here at your invitation.
And we are looking very forward to playing the match
against the north Korea senior team,
and I think it's gonna be great entertainment.
Hey, bill, you do it!
Yeah, I know.
All right.
Now that the formalities
are out of the way, the night can begin,
with Dennis, as ever, the life and soul of the party.
Hey, guys, watch this bullshit!
Ah!
Here we go, here we go, here we go!
Watch this.
Ah!
Here's one. Fuck it.
♪ I ain't have no santoria ♪
♪ I ain't have no crystal ball ♪
♪ I had a million dollars and I -- ♪
Okay.
There you go. I'm sorry about this.
♪ I live... ♪
♪ The life that's full ♪
♪ Too full ♪
♪ Too full to mention ♪
Yeah, oh, my god!
Dennis gets more unruly as the evening wears on,
but no one seems particularly concerned,
not even the north Korean dignitaries.
Just ask any liquor you want,
they'll bring a bottle over here.
Oh, my god, we got guys over here doing...
But that all changes when Dennis gets into a conversation
with Matt Cooper, an Irish journalist
traveling with the group
who intends to write a book about Dennis' trip.
Dennis knew all about Cooper's plans,
but all of a sudden, he's not happy.
But all of a sudden, he's not happy.
No, no, walk!
Why?
And because what?
Are you banking on something?
Do I need you? Oh, hell no!
Write your book now, sissy!
Know everything, right?
Let him tell you what's really going on.
No book! No book!
Over a book about north Korea?
Show me north Korea!
Show me! Show me!
Show me!
Hate this shit!
No!
It ain't about the money!
It's do one thing -- Trying to help people!
That's it!
The atmosphere in the room is painful for everyone,
and despite it being all smiles at the end of the night,
what will Kim jong-Un think when word gets back to him?
Stupid ass.
So the next morning, it's back to business,
and Dennis is on his way to the stadium
to run a joint training session with both the American
and north Korean basketball teams.
It's a momentous occasion
as it's the first time that the two sides have met.
And the session is their only chance to size each other up
before tomorrow's big game.
But even though it's only 10:00 A.M.,
Dennis has already started drinking.
That's badass vodka. Shit.
Oh, hey. Who the fuck is with me?
But the show must go on.
Watch this.
Oh, yeah!
Are you ready? Are you ready?
Hey, guy, I got plenty of that bullshit. Come on.
For all his enthusiasm,
Dennis isn't in the ideal condition to lead the drills.
Come on, guys, come on. Damn.
Come on, guys.
Yeah!
Charles Smith,
who runs basketball courses all over the world,
is quick to step in and take charge.
Good, good. Good job.
Now you're gonna come across
and you have to read the defense.
Okay?
Before you catch the ball, tell him to read the defense.
He's got to know where the defender is.
I just want him to jump.
Not like this.
You want them to jump up.
Jump.
Good, good. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Yes, good job.
Hey, hey, hey. Good job.
Good job.
You ready? Come on, guys, come on.
Come on, play, play, play! Come on, go, go, go, go!
Come on, play!
No, we're not playing, Dennis,
we're trying to show 'em what to do.
We're trying to show 'em what to do.
He don't know what to do.
All right. All right, fuck it.
I don't know shit.
I'm trying.
Hey, just play. What, boom!
Oh!
Look at the side. Half court.
Oh, oh!
It's sad to see Dennis playing such a minor role.
After all, he picked this north Korean team
just a few weeks ago.
Is that simple shit, or is that simple shit?
Simple.
They're a talented bunch,
and it's possible that Charles and the other U.S. players
are underestimating them,
something Dennis might have been able to tell them,
but right now, he's a bit too drunk
to be much use to anybody.
Dennis is unpredictable, especially when he had a few.
But at the end of the day, like I said,
Dennis is a great guy.
In my mind, a guy who has a big heart
and only wants to try to do the best.
So what do you think about the --
He don't understand what the fuck saying.
Switch, switch!
Tell 'em to switch!
♪ What's going on ♪
Oh, okay.
As the session winds down,
what do the north Koreans think about the upcoming game?
The match to be held tomorrow
will be a good opportunity to exchange and to learn
each other in the field of basketball.
We think that it's the most important thing
to learn each other and to exchange the experience.
It is a good opportunity for us
to exchange and to learn each other.
To exchange and to learn each other.
It almost seems
as though they've been told what to say.
But not everybody is toeing the line.
So thank you.
You got to do one thing.
Bow.
All right, all right.
The U.S. players head back to the hotel
for a spot of relaxation,
but some worrying news awaits them.
A number of players had been left messages
by their sponsors back in the United States
who are threatening to drop them if they take part in the game.
Understandably, the camp becomes unsettled,
and, suddenly, there's talk of pulling out --
Just a day before the game.
Again, Charles Smith takes charge
and crisis talks are held behind closed doors.
And crisis talks are held behind closed doors.
Okay.
When the player re-emerge, it's revealed
that Smith has organized an exclusive interview
with the news network CNN.
The players hope it will give them a chance to tell their side of the story
and calm the situation with their sponsors back home.
Smith gets busy working through a list of CNN's questions
to make sure the players all sing from the same hymn sheet.
These are professional basketball alumni.
In the letter, we got to mention the Olympics.
'Cause that was part of the assurance.
Dennis, on the other hand,
who has been relaxing with a few more drinks in his room,
has only just found out what's going on.
Come on!
We expect it to be a capacity crowd
because it's been capacity crowd everywhere we go.
Okay. That's the answer.
What is this?
We're just going over the questions.
Going over all the questions?
Dennis, we're just going over all the questions today.
Are we on the same page?
Yeah, we're getting on the same page.
Almost there. Okay, fuck it.
Floyd, are you staying with us or are you going?
Are you leaving?
Let's finish this
so that we can, you know, deal with that.
Dennis doesn't stick around to go through the questions.
Instead, he waits outside, frustrated
and maybe just a little bit jealous
of Charles Smith's growing influence.
All the players can say their piece to everything.
And then in the --
He threw a glass.
And then outside of...
Outside of the...
He might be in a strop,
but Dennis is still the face of the trip,
and Charles knows they need to keep him on side.
When we finish, we all get with him,
say thank you.
We got to make him feel good.
All right, guys?
Me of all people
is trying to change something around the world.
And the one thing I like to do is, like, help people.
And, finally, it's paying off.
After all these trying years.
Okay, there should be somebody called Chris
coming to talk to you soon
on that ifb in your ear,
and you'll have one for your ear.
And I'll put this on the side.
And try to tuck this...
We're live.
Are you in this?
We received a letter from the d.P.R.K. Olympic committee,
an invitation to do this game.
An invitation to do this game.
This isn't about Dennis.
We're here specifically to put smiles on people's faces,
everlasting memories in the minds of individuals,
and, hopefully, with the good work that we do,
we give to charity while we're here.
So, please, don't continue to put politics into that.
This is not what we're here for.
I get it, Charles. I get it.
Can I answer that? I get why you're there.
The problem is it's more complicated than basketball.
It just is,
it's more complicated than basketball, fellas, I'm sorry.
It's more complicated than basketball, fellas, I'm sorry.
But you say, you know what, you say --
You say it's more complicated than basketball.
Basketball is not complicated to us, and that's what we do.
The game has been presented as a birthday present
to the ruler.
I'm not here to fight with you guys.
I respect what you're doing.
I'm just concerned for the family of this man
who is held there,
and I am concerned, as many Americans are,
about giving a birthday present
to a man who is seen as a despot,
who just had his uncle executed.
Who just had his uncle executed.
I'll - I'll do it. Dennis, you understand the issue.
It's not about hating unamerican basketball players.
Yeah, but you can -- You can --
We're not -- again, we're not here to deal with the politics.
The date of the game is the date of the game.
The interview is nearly over,
and Charles has skillfully navigated
every question on CNN's list.
But at the last moment, the interviewer lobs
a potentially dangerous
unscripted question into the mix.
Dennis, let me end on this.
You do have a relationship with this man. Yes.
Are you going to take an opportunity, if you get it,
to speak up for the family of Kenneth bae?
Will you take the opportunity?
Watch this.
If you understand what Kenneth bae did,
you understand what he did in this country.
What did he do, you tell me?
You tell me. What did he do?
No, no, no, you tell me! You tell me!
Why is held captive in this country? Why?
They haven't released any charges.
They haven't released any reason.
Listen -- No, let me do it.
I would love to speak on this.
Go ahead.
You know, you got --
Okay, you got 10 guys here -- 10 guys here
that left their families, left their damn families
to help this country that's in the sports venture.
Got 10 guys -- All these guys here,
does anyone understand that?
We do, and we appreciate that, and we wish them well... Christmas, new year's --
...with the cultural exchange.
No, no, no! I'm just saying --
No, I don't give a what the --
I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you think!
I'm saying to you, look at these guys here!
Look at 'em!
Yeah, but, Dennis, don't put it on them.
Don't use them as an excuse
for the behavior that you're putting on yourself.
They came here! They came here!
You just basically were saying
that Kenneth bae did something wrong.
We don't even know what the charges are.
Don't use these guys as a shield for you, Dennis.
Listen, listen,
listen, listen, listen. Hold on!
Ain't no shield!
I got a guy -- Let me do this!
Really, really, I want to tell you one thing.
People around the world -- Around the world --
I'm gonna do one thing.
You're a guy behind the Mike right now,
we're the guys here doing one thing.
We're have to go back to America and take the abuse.
Do you have to take the abuse we're gonna take?
Do you, sir? Let me know!
Are you gonna take the abuse we're gonna get?
But, guess what, though. One day...
This door is gonna open because these 10 guys here,
all of us --
I mean, everybody here,
if we could just open the door just a little bit.
The key is, you can bait Dennis or any of us
into a political conversation, and it can get emotional.
No, Charles, that's not my intention. But that's not --
Charles, it's not my intention, it really isn't.
Let me finish. It really isn't.
But let me finish. Please.
We're not here to talk politics, so outside of that,
we're not here to talk politics, so outside of that,
any questions that come back through that
is baiting to get us into politics,
and that's not what we're here for.
Every man sitting here understands that.
Charles, I understand it as well.
I wish you good luck with the cultural exchange,
but you know the issues that are at play.
Good luck with the game.
I hope it has the results that you want it to,
and I wish you a safe trip home.
Thank you for joining us this morning.
You guys can get Un-miked.
All right. That's good.
By getting lured into a discussion about Kenneth bae,
Dennis may have sabotaged Charles' attempt
to paint the trip as a cultural sporting exchange.
Worried about the effect the outburst might have
on their public image back home,
the players hold yet more crisis talks.
But that's not -- We got to really toe the line.
Stay on the same page every step of the way.
Oh, my god.
And, Dennis, listen, it's not about that.
I don't understand why they don't give a shit
about it, Charles! But, listen.
This ain't the fucking nba. You say, "oh, okay, really?"
No, no, no, no. No.
You're missing the point.
I'm missing the point? Why the fuck are you here?
That's not -- We got that, we're past that.
We're at a juncture right now.
We're at a certain junction,
a certain crossroads that we have --
Who the fuck hired this guy?
Really, Charles? Really?
You're the same fucking dickhead guy --
I don't give a rat's ass --
No, I'm so sorry. No, no, watch this, no.
It ain't about me drinking -- Nothing like that.
I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about one thing,
how we address the media moving forward.
How we address the media moving forward.
That's it.
We?
We want you to agree to stay away from answering
or getting down the road with political questions.
That's it. Charles, guess what?
Am I right, guys? Am I right?
That's it, that's it. It's simple. That's it.
So, Charles, have you ever heard me -- you just did.
No, no, no. Stay away from politics.
And stick to what we're doing, which is playing basketball,
from this point on.
We're all in agreement?
All right, Oscar.
Pyongyang!
Despite Charles and Dennis' show of unity,
the players are still concerned
about what the reaction to the interview will be.
And the question still stands --
Are they going to play or pull out?
That's why he brought it up.
Did he bring it up first?
He brought it up to the sports minister about whether or not
we should still go through with it.
Their translator came up to me.
Like, he said, "is there an issue?"
And I'll just say, "no, you know."
I said, "look, you know, they, you know,
they're hearing it, obviously, back home."
I don't have a feeling on it, because I'm dealing with...
12, 13 other guys.
So my opinion only matters
after we get a general consensus by committee.
Well, it's not anything to work out,
it's just to find out how guys feel.
We got to see, you know,
if our guys are feeling what's going on.
It's very important. I mean...
You know, our country is our country.
Yes. Vodka and soda.
Sodas?
Vodka, vodka.
Vodka.
A couple of hours later,
with the game still hanging in the balance,
Doug and Charles manage to get access
to the hotel's closely guarded Internet service,
and they find the interview online.
What would they think now that the dust had settled?
It has a different context when you see it, Charles.
Yeah, it does. It wasn't bad.
It wasn't.
Other than the Kenneth bae thing,
his emotion at the very beginning
and what he said after that was spot-on.
It was. 'Cause it came across. It was good.
That he's feeling hurt about what's going on.
Yeah, right.
Yeah, but sitting up there, it didn't --
Man, I wish vin and them would have came,
'cause they were feeling what we were feeling --
To see it.
Thanks, guys.
After this, I hope they're not ostracizing us
as much as they were prior to that.
Right, right, yeah.
It's a possibility. You know that.
Yeah.
But that was -- Overall, I give it a "b."
Yeah, which is -- A "b."
I was, like, an "f."
"D"-minus, "f."
"Good lord, we're in trouble."
I was like, "oh, shit!"
It doesn't look like how it felt sitting here.
Oh, okay. It wasn't that bad?
No, they showed the whole entire thing.
But the thing with Dennis, we were all sitting there.
Yeah.
So we got caught up in him.
But when you look at the thing and how they pan it and shot it,
the only thing he did is go back and forth with bae.
The only thing he did is go back and forth with bae.
But his other stuff, it was actually very good.
Word spreads to the other players.
They get together for more discussion,
and at the 11th hour,
they finally decide to stay and prepare for match day.
The game is on.
So structured.
Let's go play against the north Koreans.
As the players make their way to the court,
there's a buzz of activity in the corridors,
and there's only one explanation --
The marshal, Kim jong-Un, has arrived.
Standing in the tunnel
and listening to the roar of the crowd,
the scale of the event only just starts to hit home.
For the first time ever, an American team will play
an away fixture in north Korea with Kim jong-Un watching on.
National pride is at stake, and even though the event
will only be broadcast in north Korea,
the result will be eagerly anticipated around the world,
so it's a game neither side will want to lose.
So it's a game neither side will want to lose.
Now the players of half our team from d.P.R. Korea
and the nba star's team from U.S.A.
Will enter the stadium.
It's game time.
Before the game,
Mr. Dennis rodman would like to say a few words.
With the players out on court
and 20,000 north Koreans waiting patiently,
it's time for Dennis' big moment.
Uh...
I would like to really thank, um...
My peers here from the U.S.
Having the guts to believe in me,
to be here with the marshal for his birthday.
A lot of people have expressed different views about me
and your leader here, the marshal.
And your leader here, the marshal.
And I take that as a compliment,
a compliment as far as the world.
Yes, he's a great leader.
He provides for his people here in this country.
And thank god the people here love the marshal.
Um...
For the people of north Korea, I want to say one thing...
This is history-breaking ground for everyone that's involved.
My peers here, the national team here.
All I want to say is just to my friend
and his wife and his family -- His family...
And his wife and his family -- His family...
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday, dear marshal ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
Dennis' serenading of the marshal is very unexpected,
even by his standards and shows
how naive he is to the wider political situation.
It's very unlikely to go down well back home,
it's very unlikely to go down well back home,
but for now, that will have to wait --
There's a basketball game to be played.
And in another unexpected move,
Dennis has decided to split the game into two halves.
In the first half, it's the main event --
The United States against north Korea.
In the second half, Dennis is mixing up the teams
so both north Koreans and Americans
will play side by side,
a nice touch that will hopefully underline
the real importance of the trip --
The real importance of the trip --
Bringing the people of two nations,
divided in so many ways, closer together.
But first, can the ex-nba players
beat a team of eager, hungry, young north Koreans
keen to please their marshal?
The U.S. team gets things underway,
trying to make the most of their superior height and reach.
But their handling lets them down.
The north Koreans' response -- Speed.
They keep the ball moving quickly.
It helps to create the space for a series of 3-point shots.
The Americans fight back --
The cool head and hands of Doug christie
and a bank shot from vin Baker.
They're back in the game,
which is more physical than they'd expected.
The north Koreans stick with their pacey
pass-and-move style of play,
catching the American team flat-footed,
and they begin to pull away.
Rattled, the visitors call a time-out
to take stock and catch their breath.
To take stock and catch their breath.
Charles Smith and the rest of the team
are starting to realize what Dennis knew all along...
...these guys can shoot.
The crowd's excitement is growing,
but one player is disappointing.
An out-of-condition Dennis is struggling.
As the whistle signals the end of the first period,
the American team is trailing by 10 points.
The Americans are disillusioned.
The north Koreans are ready for more.
Dennis bows out to watch the rest of the game
with his friend Kim jong-Un.
It's the first time during this trip
that Dennis has met with the marshal one-to-one,
so he's keen to look the part.
If the Americans thought that without Dennis
the north Koreans would go easy on them, they're wrong.
The U.S. team does rally, but fatigue starts to creep in,
and for all their effort, nothing quite comes off.
At the end of the second quarter,
the score is U.S.A. 39, north Korea 45,
a win for the d.P.R.K. And an indication
that, just maybe, the professionals
have underestimated their opponents.
Uh...
We trained them. We taught them to beat us.
The competition was good.
They played extremely hard -- Physical, very physical.
They played extremely hard. Which is really good.
Which is good. Yeah, no doubt.
It's interesting because they had a strategy
to play against us, you know, older nba players,
and they used that European
drive-and-kick, shorter, faster guys.
So the game was much more competitive
so the game was much more competitive
and much more interesting than I thought it would be.
As Dennis planned,
the teams change up for the second half,
and it just happens
that with the two nationalities mixed together,
the crowd sees some of the best action of the night...
With Dennis and Kim jong-Un watching on.
It's still a strange sight --
The leader of the world's most controlled state
and America's most out-of-control celebrity
laughing and joking like a couple of old college buddies.
Laughing and joking like a couple of old college buddies.
As the game reaches a close,
it's hard to say what long-term effect it may or may not have.
But the interaction between the north Korean
and U.S. players feels like an unerringly positive thing,
with millions of north Koreans
watching their kin standing shoulder-to-shoulder
with the old enemy on their TV screens.
After the game, the marshal meets his players.
As we know, he's a big basketball fan, after all.
In the dressing room,
there's a sense of euphoria and relief
that the game actually took place.
But for Charles, it's all too much.
I just needed a moment to myself,
to, uh kind of reflect and get the emotion out
because it's been pent up through the whole trip.
It was hard getting the guys together.
Congratulations.
And zoom in on it.
It's always difficult working with Dennis,
it's always difficult working with Dennis,
but it -- it -- It usually works out well.
I just sung "happy birthday" to the fucker.
In less than 24 hours,
we were actually thinking of not playing this game.
We were actually thinking of not playing the game.
We made history today.
The high emotions are felt
in the north Korean camp, too.
It was a great, great, great pleasure,
and a happiness and honor for him.
With their achievement starting to sink in,
the players begin to celebrate.
Bring it in, guys. Bring in on. Come on.
I'm feeling -- I'm feeling some love.
Bring it in. Bring it in.
Come on, bring it in.
I'm feeling some love. We did it.
Vin, come on, man.
Back at the hotel, the celebrations continue.
For the first time since they stepped foot in Pyongyang,
everyone gets to let their hair down.
And, yep, Joe gets another chance
to show off his well-honed karaoke skills.
To show off his well-honed karaoke skills.
After everything that's happened over the last few days,
there's a good show of togetherness,
and the revelry lasts well into the night.
Who woulda thunk it?
Oh!
The next day, the U.S. players,
with a few sore heads,
head out for some specially organized r&r time
with the north Korean team.
With the north Korean team.
We had a chance to actually interact with the national team,
so we went to the water park,
got on slides together.
Guys were pulling me over -- "come, come."
Even though it was a different-language barrier,
we communicated with each other.
And it was good to be around those guys away from the gym,
in a different atmosphere, and it was the same thing.
It was all love,
we had a great time with those guys.
It's gonna be a bond.
It's gonna probably be, you know, from that day forth,
all the way throughout.
You know, a lot of the players that were there, you know,
you know, a lot of the players that were there, you know,
of course remember all the guys,
you know, from the game, and stuff like that,
and, you know, we just went there
to have a good time, kind of, you know, unwind a little bit.
You know, a couple guys, we got in the sauna,
we did a little waterslide stuff,
got in the pools and stuff.
They showed us a lot of love, lot of respect,
and we did the same, you know, with them.
Meanwhile, Dennis and a small number of his group
are whisked away on a separate trip.
While they were chatting during the game,
the marshal told Dennis that he'd made plans for them
to spend the weekend together at masik,
the country's new luxury ski lodge,
three hours east of the capital.
By the time Dennis arrives, some of the marshal's
family and entourage are already on the slopes.
First, he's invited to a thank-you meal
with the sports minister before being taken
on an exclusive tour of the resort.
After the officials have shown the place off to the cameras,
Dennis' film crew is informed that only Dennis
and the closest members of his group
will be allowed to stay to meet Kim jong-Un.
It's a shame, as there had been
the possibility of securing a world-exclusive interview
with the marshal, but it's not to be.
And so, grudgingly, the crew leave
Dennis, vo, Joe, and Michael
to enjoy the slopes while they trek back to Pyongyang.
The next morning, it's time for the American players
to say their goodbyes and head back to the United States.
Now that the game is over,
what were their thoughts on the trip?
There was so much media scrutiny
on the players individually, which we didn't expect.
We knew that there were gonna be some negative publicity
surrounding the game
and us being in Korea, north Korea,
but we didn't expect our country to bash us personally.
That caught us off guard,
that caught us off guard,
and that was pretty frustrating,
and some of the guys had some personal issues with it,
their families and their children,
and it was kind of tough.
I don't know if I'm worried about the backlash.
I'm anticipating both, you know,
family and friends happy that I'm home,
and then there'll be some people
who don't understand
or be puzzled by the fact that we went.
I don't know how much shit I'm gonna get into
when I go back home, which I don't, you know.
And does it matter?
I have to just, you know, face the consequences,
'cause I did something radical, major, you know?
And that's cool.
I'm like, "yo, I did something that, you know,
people in America didn't agree with fully,
and I have to deal with it."
I'm just, you know --
I'm not over being with the guys.
And, you know, just everything that's been involved
with, you know, the media,
and all the talk in the media, and when we should talk,
and when we shouldn't talk, and how we should talk.
I'm tired of that.
Do you have any regrets about the trip.
I don't regret it one bit.
It doesn't matter what scrutiny I get at home, what people say.
I felt it was a good opportunity,
as well, I think, as everyone else that's here,
to show the world that this place
that they call north Korea is not as bad as what they think.
I'm gonna just tell them I had a great time.
By far, as a professional,
I would say this is probably
my best experience, basketball-wise, as a pro.
Like anything, anything. Just anything.
You know, you look at it even from the standpoint of Dennis,
to be, you know, even in the presence of this guy.
They say they're friends.
Even said, "that's my friend."
There's no one right now in the United States
that can say that.
Nobody. Right.
Like, there's nobody that can say, "oh, yeah,
oh, yeah, that's my man."
You know, "we cool --" nobody.
A few days later, it's Dennis' turn to head home,
after spending a full weekend with the marshal.
Beijing airport is buzzing
as the world's press waits to find out
what they got up to at the ski lodge.
But when Dennis appears, he's swept through the airport
and onto his connecting flight without saying a word.
Only on the plane home does the truth come out.
The marshal never showed.
It's desperately disappointing news,
especially after everything
Dennis had gone through to get the game to happen.
So why did Kim jong-Un choose to leave
his good friend high and dry?
Now that the game was over,
had the marshal simply gotten
everything he needed to out of Dennis?
Everything he needed to out of Dennis?
Could it be that this was all
just a cleverly devised propaganda campaign
by Kim jong-Un to show his people
just how powerful he is,
inviting a group of Americans to Pyongyang and beating them
at their own game.
According to Daniel pinkston, this doesn't really stack up.
I just don't buy that argument
because the state narrative and the propaganda narrative
is compliance and conformity -- Obey, obedience.
Is compliance and conformity -- Obey, obedience.
And here is Dennis rodman, who is one of the most unusual
nonconformists we could think of,
and here he is in the embrace of Kim jong-Un,
and it's sending this message
that, "hey, it's okay to be different."
They never saw an American before,
and they go back, and they think,
"well, everything I read in textbooks,
and everything my schoolteacher told me in school,
and everything the party cell member told me,
and everything our coach told us,
and everything that the state media told me,
was that Americans are evil, they're trying to kill us,
but the Americans I saw, they were friendly.
They're like us."
This is a very subversive message,
and people will remember that.
Those young people
who have those interactions with the Americans,
they will never forget it as long as they live,
and people underestimate that.
So why didn't the marshal show?
It turns out that up at the ski lodge,
Dennis went on the mother of all drinking binges,
and his behavior got increasingly out of control.
And his behavior got increasingly out of control.
With the marshal's friends and family watching on,
the decision was made for Kim
to save face and to give Dennis a wide berth.
And with that, the opportunity was lost.
The game was a great showpiece, no doubt,
but their friendship, as odd as it may seem,
had a lot of potential.
In the long run, it really could have led
to improved relations between the U.S. and north Korea.
And who knows -- It might even have persuaded
president Barack Obama to engage with north Korea.
But Dennis' alcoholism and sheer unpredictability
but Dennis' alcoholism and sheer unpredictability
got the better of him,
and his dream of opening the door to north Korea
may have gone up in smoke for good.
He's now back in the states.
It's over.
As soon as Dennis arrived back in America,
he booked himself straight into rehab --
In his own words, "too cool off."
Three weeks later, he left the clinic.
Now that he'd sobered up
and has had time to reflect on the trip,
what did he feel about the marshal's no-show?
What did he feel about the marshal's no-show?
Well, it's all -- that -- That was different.
That was something -- Whatever --
They didn't want to bring him around me
'cause I was too doing my thing, so that's why.
But I was doing -- I was, you know, drinking.
I was so drunk.
You know, I'm pretty sure he was like,
"okay," you know, he got to keep his image up.
Okay, great. I understood that.
That was cool. That was cool how he did that.
I had to drink to fucking get myself together.
You know, it went to that far for me,
as to have a drink a little bit more than I usually drink,
because I just didn't want to hear the bullshit, you know?
But like I say, I survived it.
Life goes on, and guess what, it's a happy day.
Dennis brushes over it,
but is he being completely honest with himself?
He cherished his relationship with Kim
and knew that this was his chance
to show the world what he could do.
Dennis also appeared to have
a real affinity with north Korea.
At the start of this journey, it seemed that the d.P.R.K.
And Dennis rodman couldn't be any more different,
but as Joe explains, they're more alike than you might think.
People accuse Dennis rodman of being crazy, being stupid,
and I'll tell you, he's neither.
He's one of the smartest guys I've ever met,
once I got to know him.
Once I got to know him.
I didn't expect that before I met him,
because we all know that he has trouble, sometimes,
being articulate.
But when you see him work,
it's just like he was on the field,
when he's playing basketball on the court.
He can predict what's gonna happen in the future,
and he sees things in multiple dimensions,
so he's a very smart, actually smart, guy.
North Korea is accused of the same damn thing.
North Korea -- People say they're irrational
because they don't take the time to understand their premises
and to understand how they think.
But most of the things they do are completely logical
but most of the things they do are completely logical
once you understand that their value system
and their premises are different.
So it's the same for Dennis and north Korea,
and it's the common bond that unites them,
is that neither is either stupid or crazy.
They just are accused of that by the mainstream
and the mainstream opinion in the media.
And so I think that they bond over that.
Not only is he not stupid --
Dennis rodman somehow became the one high-profile American
with direct contact
to the ruling power in north Korea.
Whether that relationship is gone for good,
whether that relationship is gone for good,
we'll have to wait and see.
Dennis has to take responsibility
for his own actions.
But if the establishment hadn't been so tough on him,
then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have hit
the self-destruct button quite so hard.
The more you keep going at it, the more you keep going at it,
the more you keep pursuing something, pursuing something,
sooner or later, something's got to happen.
It's a big picture, not this one.
It's a big picture, okay?
So, you know, it's, like, it's gonna work,
and people don't open their eyes and say, "wow.
And people don't open their eyes and say, "wow.
Okay, great, cool."
We could actually go to north Korea
and actually survive and actually come back,
and actually are saying, "wow," you know,
"it's not so bad."
But people want to make it like that country is so --
It's like the devil, and it's not.
Captions by vitac -- www.Vitac.Com