Dennis Rodman 'will be in Singapore for Trump-Kim summit'

NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman is reportedly going to be in Singapore when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is there for his summit with Donald Trump. Photo / AP

Dennis Rodman, the former NBA basketball player, will reportedly be in Singapore at the time of the highly anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un next week.

The former Chicago Bulls player, who is one of the few westerners to have met the dictator, will arrive in the country on Monday, a day before the meeting between the US president and the North Korean leader, the New York Post reported. It added that Rodman may even play a role in high-stakes talks.

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

"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."

The heavily tattooed Rodman has developed an unlikely relationship with the leader since making his first trip in March 2013, when he declared Kim Jong-un a "friend for life".

Describing the trips as "basketball diplomacy", he said during his latest trip in June last year that he was "just trying to open a door" with his visit.

Darren Prince, Rodman's representative, told the Post that a trip to Singapore had not been confirmed but that he would be willing to go if his expertise were needed.

"He's talked about it, but no final trip or plans have been made," he said.

In an April interview with TMZ, Rodman said Mr Kim didn't understand the president until he gave him a copy of Mr Trump's ghost-written book, "The Art of the Deal," for his birthday in 2017.

"I think [Kim] didn't realise who Donald Trump was at that time, I guess, until he started to read the book and started to get to understand him. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are pretty much the same," Rodman told 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.' That's not my intention," Rodman told the website.

In an appearance on the US chat show, The Late Show, in December, Rodman said Mr Kim was "probably" a madman.

"It's funny though, I don't see how people can sit there and say this person's a madman," he said. "He probably is, but I didn't see that. He probably is."

- Daily Telegraph UK