NBA Legend Glad to ‘Get Outta There Alive’ After Playing in North Korea

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President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met face-to-face Tuesday morning for their highly anticipated, historic summit.

Back in 2014, former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls champion and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman brought several of his NBA friends to North Korea to play in a basketball game in front of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

Kenny Anderson was one of the NBA legends invited to participate.

Appearing on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, we discussed the game and more.

Check out a snippet from our Q&A below:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I lectured a college course and I had them watch the movie The Interview. It detailed Kim Jong-Un. In 2014, you were named to the team assembled by Dennis Rodman as a basketball diplomacy effort in North Korea. Which you guys played an exhibition game against the North Korean Senior National Team celebrating the birthday of Kim Jong-Un. Million-dollar question. What is Kim Jong-Un like?

Kenny Anderson: Well I didn’t get a chance to know him, that’s Dennis’ partner. Dennis is really friends with him, and he got to know him and I just shook his hand and things of that nature. I really didn’t get a chance to get to know him so I can’t say anything about that but it was very interesting in the moment of going over there. I was doing a good friend Dennis Rodman an opportunity, I didn’t know but when I got over there, I thought we were going over to train them. When I got over there, I didn’t do my due diligence and I didn’t know and when I went over there it was just great. It was great to be a part of that situation, but I’m happy for myself that we was able to get outta there alive and nothing jumped off.

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Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You talked about coming out alive, what was your family’s apprehension or your friends’ apprehension?

Kenny Anderson: My family was nervous. But it was too late, I was over there. So I had to just put up with it and everybody back home in the States were calling, I was calling – it was just crazy man. I remember when I got off the plane, everybody I ran to … my wife ran over to me, hugging me it was nuts man.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How did the fans receive you in North Korea?

Kenny Anderson: The fans were great. With all of us they gave us a great round of applause. It was just awesome. Well, they better have clapped [laughs] you know that! But they clapped for us though, it was great.

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