All language subtitles for Dennis.Rodmans.Big.Bang.in.PyongYang.2015.1080p.BluRay.x264-SADPANDA-English

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

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

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.

Actually, the guy in the
picture was Kim Jong-Un's brother.

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...

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.

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,

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",

your 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.

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 hated 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
rr. Stunts yet

that led to it
first meeting Dennis.

It started in a very, very
unprecedented circumstance.

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,

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 1970's

when a team of U.S. ping-pong
players traveled to China.

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.

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 Sung-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-z's,
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,

"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.

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 th rough
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

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.

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

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",

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.

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 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.

But in quasi-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.

They might not be good enough
to make it in the NBA,

but, 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!

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.

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.

You can't, you know, move around
on your own autonomy,

you can't leave the hotel
without your minders.

You're told what you can film,

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.

The last stop of the
tour ls 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 got-ten 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.

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 ♪

♪ 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 fortnights time.

Everything changed
before Christmas.

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 got-ten 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.

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 euro league.

Vin Baker.
Played 13 years in the NBA.

Currently finishing halfway
through my masters program

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.

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 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 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 ♪

- ♪ 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.

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?

Excited for the next two days.

Go to a nice dinner tonight.

And we're really enjoying it so far.
Having a great time.

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.

Hey, guys.

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 ministers 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.

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 had no santeria ♪

♪ 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 for any
liquor you want,

they'll bring a bottle
over here.

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.

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!

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 ls 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 bad ass 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!

♪ Whats gong 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

- I'll - I'll do it.
- Dennis, you understand the issue.

It's not about hating on
American 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...

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.

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...

One day...

This door is gonna open

because these 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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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 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...

♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy Birthday, dear Marshal ♪

♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪

Dennis' serenading of
The Marshal ls 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,

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...

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?

Speaking to the U.S. coach,
he seems more worried

about his own team's fitness
levels

than those of the opposition.

Just do a lot of rotations,
get everyone in the game early

so they get a feel
for the court and surroundings.

Just so they can get comfortable
out there

so we'll do a lot
of substituting.

If guys are really tired,
we'll get 'em out early

and get 'em back in sooner.

The U.S. players start by trying
to use their height advantage.

But their handling
lets them down.

The North Koreans' response is to
use their own advantage... speed.

They move the ball fast,
stay out of reach

and shooting from outside
the 3-point arc.

The Americans
register their first points.

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.

North Korea continued
to dominate.

Playing a pass-and-move
style of basketball,

which catches the Americans
flat-footed and defending too deep

to prevent a succession
of 3-point shots.

Rattled, the visitors
call a time-out

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 hosts up the tempo again.

Their decision making and hand
speed too much for an aging team,

including an out-of-condition
Dennis.

At the end of the first period,
with the Americans trailing by

Dennis bows out to enjoy
watching the rest of the game

with his friend Kim Jong-Un.

The second quarter brings more
of the same.

The U.S. team does rally, but
fatigue starts to play its part.

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.

They beat us in two quarters. We had
two more quarters to go, but we split.

We was down by 9 points. But
they could play a little bit.

I think it took it for granted

that playing these guys,
but they could shoot.

They're in great shape.
They run the floor well.

I have to
give those guys credit,

because they played
extremely hard.

They were very focused
and they knew what to do

to be effective against us.

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

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.

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,

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 in. 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.

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!

And I love North Korea.

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.

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,

of course remembered
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 water slide 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 than k-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,

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.
That's cool with me.

I just have to deal with it,
but I'm not sad.

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 certainly didn't intend fob this to
be a birthday celebration for anyone.

And that's what it turned
into being

so it was unfortunate that

we were all in that situation.

But we have to move on from it.

I didn't even know

going over there that it was
a birthday.

Or that it was gonna be looked
at as a birthday gift

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.

They're not me.
They're not in my head.

They don't know what I go
through on a daily basis.

They don't live in my shoes.

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 happened at the ski lodge.

But when Dennis appears,
he's swept through the airport

and onto his connecting flight
without saying a word.

And on the plane home
the truth come out.

Despite being promised they'd
spend some quality time together,

The Marshal never showed.

It's desperately
disappointing news for Dennis,

especially after everything

he'd 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?

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.

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.

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.

In other words, Dennis blew it.

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

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?

Well, it's all... that...
that was different.

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.

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

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, 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."

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.