DALLAS -- Basketball Hall of Fame forward Dennis Rodman took a lot of heat recently for meeting with controversial North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
But Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban saw no problem with the two meeting.
"Actually I think it’ll help,'' Cuban said before Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets. "When you've got somebody talking about something other than globally nuclear destruction, that's a
step in the right direction because you know there's a topic you can have a conversation about that isn’t thinking about something else.
"Just like any argument, when you calm it down by switching subjects, that’s a good thing.''''
Cuban isn't sure if anything of substance will become of the meeting between Rodman and Kim. But the fact that Kim is a huge basketball fan apparently says that he can at least relate to Rodman.
"Who knows if it has any staying power, but it's certainly not a negative,'' Cuban said. "When I think of world peace I think of Rodman.''
When Cuban bought the Mavs from Ross Perot Jr. on Jan. 4, 2000, one of the first players he signed to a free agent contract was Rodman, who was 38 at the time and way past his prime. Rodman, though, wound up alienating the Mavs and was released after just 12 games.
However, during his time with the Mavs, Rodman mostly stayed in a guest home on Cuban's property. Asked if Rodman trashed his guest home, Cuban said: "Not really. All he did was watch North Korean cartoons.''
By the way, in an interview with Charlie Rose for "60 Minutes,'' NBA commissioner David Stern calls Rodman's visit with Kim as "ridiculous.''
-- Dwain Price
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@dwainprice
deprived of food and basic human rights
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