North Korea Tried To Get Michael Jordan - And Got Dennis Rodman Instead
In fact, if Vice Magazine hadn't uploaded pictures, we might not believe it.
However, there's more to the story than that. NK News has published a long article from Nate Thayer that looks at the Kim family's love of certain aspects of American culture — such as Disney, Eric Clapton and the NBA.
The Chicago Bulls seem to have been the Kims' team of choice. Thayer picks up on a picture of Kim Jong-un's brother Kim Jong-chol wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey with Dennis Rodman’s number on it, and points to a 2006 report that said Kim Jong Il owned video library of "practically every game Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls".
Interestingly, that report seems to suggest that Jordan was originally slated to visit the Hermit Kingdom in 2001.
Intrigued, Max Fisher of the Washington Post did some digging and found the original story from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Here's a key passage:
Jordan’s management team was approached about the athlete making a goodwill trip to Pyongyang to meet Kim. The North Korean government, according to documents obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, sent a letter authorizing the request, and Samsung, a South Korean electronics company interested in promoting reunification of the Koreas, had offered to underwrite the venture.
Jordan respectfully declined.
So, Rodman appears to be second choice to Jordan in North Korea's eyes at least.