One of few westerners welcomed by the rogue nation, NBA legend Dennis Rodman has created controversy in recent years for his visits to North Korea as well as his friendly tone when discussing its supreme leader Kim Jong-un. In the wake of a recent nuclear test believed to have been the nation's most powerful to date, Rodman touted his unusual relationship with Kim as the basis to potentially ease tensions between North Korea and the rest of the world.

According to Reuters, Rodman made the comments during a broadcast of ITV's "Good Morning Britain." In the interview, the retired power forward discussed his friendship with the North Korean dictator, revealing some of the "cool things" he has been able to do with Kim during his previous visits.

"I basically hang out with him all the time," Rodman said. "We laugh, we sing karaoke, we do a lot of cool things together. We ride horses, we hang out, we go skiing."

The unlikely friends "hardly ever talk politics," Rodman said, explaining "that's the good thing." He distanced himself personally from Kim, describing his role in North Korea as an "ambassador for sports" and insisting that he doesn't "love" the nation's despotic rule. He did suggest, however, that he thinks his familiarity with the North Korean regime could present the basis for improved diplomacy.

"I just want to try to straighten things out for everyone to get along together," Rodman said.

Rodman's controversial 'ambassadorship'

The 56-year-old has earned plenty of attention for his regular trips to North Korea, the most recent of which occurred in June. Rodman announced that trip with a tweet, which sparked additional controversy for his unusual sponsor, PotCoin.com.

Rodman's association with the Kim regime dates back to 2013, making him one of the first American citizens to visit the dictator after Kim assumed power in 2011.

He traveled to North Korea at least twice that year, earning praise from some in the U.S. -- including Donald Trump. Two years before announcing his presidential candidacy, the reality television host expressed hope that Rodman could be helpful in restoring diplomatic relations between the U.S. and North Korea.

"Maybe Dennis is a lot better than what we have," said Trump, who appeared alongside Rodman on the NBC series "Celebrity Apprentice."

In connection with his June visit, Rodman said he believed Trump would be "pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need." He maintained a congenial tone when discussing the president during the recent "Good Morning Britain" appearance, though he did acknowledge Trump acts "a little bit crazy sometimes."

Social media skepticism

While Rodman maintains his preferred status within Kim's inner circle could lead to some stability on the Korean Peninsula, Twitter users were notably less convinced.

Several Twitter users commented on the perceived absurdity of entrusting the world's survival to a flamboyant former professional basketball star.

Some tweets pointed to the situation as indicative of the reality television culture, equating it with the Trump presidency and other examples of celebrities crossing into politics.

Others took on a more pessimistic tone.
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