For long-suffering Knick fans, who could forget the enduring image of 6’10” Bridgeport hometown hero Charles Smith missing layups with Scottie Pippen hanging on his back and Michael Jordan in and out of his jock. What a nightmare 20 years ago. Now on a mission to North Korea on behalf of Dennis Rodman’s man crush for Kim Jong Un, Smith has expressed remorse for the trip. But Charles, what about missing those layups? Now that’s worthy of remorse.
From the Associated Press:
Former NBA star Charles D. Smith says he feels remorse for coming to Pyongyang with Dennis Rodman for a game on the North Korean leader’s birthday because the event has been dwarfed by politics and tainted by Rodman’s own comments.
Smith and other former NBA players are scheduled to play with Rodman against a team of North Koreans on Wednesday that organizers say leader Kim Jong Un is expected to attend. Many of the players on Tuesday privately expressed second thoughts about going ahead because of an outpouring of criticism back home in the United States.
Smith, who played for the New York Knicks, said the North Korea trip has been dwarfed by politics and Rodman’s frequent boasts about his close friendship with Kim.
“What we are doing is positive, but it is getting dwarfed by the other circumstances around it,” Smith told The Associated Press. “Apparently our message is not being conveyed properly due to the circumstances that are much bigger than us, and I think that has to do with politics and government.”
Read more here.
Former NBA star Charles D. Smith said, “Apparently our message is not being conveyed properly due to the circumstances that are much bigger than us, and I think that has to do with politics and government.” Well, Charles D. Smith should hold his head high as a proud American and a former NBA star and be the eloquent speaker he is and smooth over comments made by Dennis Rodman because there are no other Americans able to go to North Korea to speak to leader Kim Jong Un. There seems to be a common ground with basketball. When you have lemons you make lemonade.
Hey Ron, so when do we start singing Happy Birthday to Kimbe?
Maybe 1/2 time?
Jimfox, I’m sure you remember the Fram oil filter commercial, “Pay me now, pay me later.” Well, North Korea has nuclear reactors that are designed to kill Americans but as a country we have NO ONE to talk to the leaders of a country that has eyes on destroying us. So let’s not talk to them.
There’s a pattern in the last two decades of negotiations with North Korea. First comes a missile test, closely followed by a nuclear test, global sanctions, then some talk of rapprochement, and then, back to square one–more provocations.
All the while, the people of North Korea have suffered. In the 1990s an estimated 2 million people died in a nationwide famine. North Koreans have almost no contact with the outside world. Less than 10 percent of them even have mobile phones, and those are not allowed to call outside the country. Per capita income is estimated to be somewhere around $1,000 a year, about 1/20 of that in neighboring South Korea. The best path to open up with North Korea might be trade deals, travel programs. We could start with student exchange programs.
Jimfox, I agree with you. You said, “We could start with student exchange programs,” well the pro basketball could be the next step but we have to start somewhere and hopefully this is a start.
*** Hey, it’s a possible start, no? Besides crazy people like Rodman and Kim Jong Un tend to understand each other at times! *** B-Ball Politics ***
Yeah, how much worse can it be than talking about Democratic Party politics in the 137th District?
Charles Smith as well as Dennis Rodman and the entire crew should be ashamed to go to North Korea. Not only for the American who has been detained there, but for the human-rights issues plaguing this country. People are starving. Families are kept in concentration camps for generations. Freedom does not exist. Dennis Rodman is a clown. He sounds like a crack addict. Not one of the basketball players have any diplomacy training. I’d venture to say Rodman is hoping to be a spy. I am happy the Obama administration does not entertain Rodman. He and his crew should just be ashamed and embarrassed to be associated with North Korea.
I’m not going to banter with anyone supporting this effort. They should all be stripped of their American citizenship. For Rodman to side with that tyrant and suggest the American hostage did something wrong … a real plus for the propaganda of North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un. Rodman just sounds plain ignorant.
Steven Auerbach, do you remember U.S. President Richard Nixon and the People’s Republic of China?
Ron Mackey, I was 15 years old, a sophomore at Central High School waiting for my drivers license. I really was not interested in politics or tricky Dick. To compare Nixon with Rodman and his crew is absurd. Rodman and crew are going to North Korea as a carnival act for the elite. He is not going to entertain the average, starving, deprived individuals. Mackey, I am very surprised you would tolerate their blatant, unpatriotic mentality and I wouldn’t be surprised if this will be remembered in infamy. I am disappointed in you and beyond disgusted with those ill-advised has-been players.
Steven Auerbach, try reading about Richard Nixon and China before you make a statement like you did.
I just did Ron Mackey, and I am not sure what I am to be reading for your point. To stay on point, I think Rodman and company are foolish and naive. I do not think a Nixon equation is going to change my opinion. Listening to Dennis Rodman this afternoon was an embarrassment. Staying in the present and not looking back 40 years, Rodman has embarrassed this country. Ron Mackey, if you can rationalize his behavior, more power to you. He is an ass!
Steven Auerbach, look I understand nobody wants to hear and see the Dennis Rodman show but I repeat what I said earlier, “Charles D. Smith should hold his head high as a proud American and a former NBA star and be the eloquent speaker he is and smooth over comments made by Dennis Rodman because there are no other Americans able to go to North Korea to speak to leader Kim Jong Un. There seems to be a common ground with basketball. When you have lemons you make lemonade.” It was called “Ping-pong diplomacy,” The U.S. Table Tennis team helped open the door to the largest Communist Party in the world that opened up backdoor channels for Henry Kissinger. Now let’s fast forward to 2014 and you find China holding over $1.16 trillion in US Treasury bonds and is the largest foreign holder of US public debt.
*** IF RODMAN WALKS OUT OF NORTH KOREA WITH FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS, THE STATE DEPT SHOULD KISS HIS BUTT ON THE BBC NEWSCAST. ***