Alleged concerns over Kim Jong-un's health have reminded sports fans of one futile attempt to sow peace with the dictator, which left an athlete feeling 'lucky to get out' of North Korea

NBA legend Dennis Rodman once tried his hand at easing tensions between the United States and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. And he left at least one of his team-mates grateful for his life in the process.

Almost 14 years have passed since former Chicago Bulls star Rodman led a delegation of NBA All-Stars to North Korea. The purpose of the trip was to broker some kind of peace using basketball as the medium, with Kim reportedly a big fan.

Fresh reports alleging the decline in health of North Korea's leader have reminded fans of Rodman's unexpected trips to see Kim, which started in 2013. But while he has described the ruler as a "friend for life," not all who travelled as part of that exhibition party felt as comfortable.

Former Boston Celtics guard Kenny Anderson featured in the group and was part of the team that played in North Korea in early 2014. However, he once revealed just how fortunate he felt to get back to the United States alive.

"I didn’t get a chance to know him, that’s Dennis’ partner," said Anderson during a 2020 appearance on the Scoop B Radio Podcast. "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."

Anderson acknowledged his lack of education on the subject, which was viewed as controversial at the time. Reports indicated those featuring in the exhibition were paid a little less than $10,000 (not from the North Korean government) for their participation, a portion of which Anderson said he donated to charity following public backlash.

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The relationship is very different for Rodman, who returned to North Korea the following year to help coach the national basketball team. Anderson had joined in alongside fellow NBA alumni Doug Christie, Charles D. Smith, Clifford Robinson, Vin Baker, Craig Hodges and Sleepy Floyd.

"My family was nervous. But it was too late, I was over there," he added. "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."

At the time of Rodman's visit, North Korea were holding American citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller in prison. South Korea-born Bae had been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on charges of planning to overthrow the government, though his release in November 2014 is partly attributed to Rodman's personal intervention with Kim.

The North Korean government has published photos as 'proof' of Kim's current health. Recent reports suggested the North Korean leader had suffered a brain haemorrhage.