"I love him," Rodman said. "The guy is awesome. He was so honest."
The flamboyant retired basketball figure made history during his trip to the communist country. He became the first American to meet the infamous dictator who has riled the United States with recent nuclear tests.
On ABC's "This Week" Sunday, Rodman recounted his trip with George Stephanopoulos, opened up about the leader and even shared an idea for building relations between the two countries.
"He's a good guy to me. Guess what, he's my friend," Rodman said about the dictator, which comes off as shocking description to most Americans.
Kim is vilified for presiding over prison camps, allowing millions to starve and threatening to destroy the U.S.
"But guess what, he don't want war. That's one thing he don't want," Rodman said Kim told him during the controversial ABC interview.
The ABC anchor then pressed the former NBA star, reminding him that Kim had said he would destroy the U.S. in the past.
"Well, I just think that's coming from his father," Rodman replied. "I think as a young man, I mean, he don't want anything."
Kim and Rodman's rendezvous was more than a talk. It was more like a mini vacation. In two days, the pair went ice skating, visited an aquarium, had drinks and even watched basketball.
Basketball, Rodman said, might be the secret to improving the U.S. relation with North Korea.
"He loves basketball. And I said, Obama loves basketball, let's start there, all right? Start there," Rodman said, noting the sport as a common ground between the leaders.
Rodman also told Stephanopoulos that Kim wanted Obama to call him.
"He told me that," Rodman said. "He said, if you can, Dennis, I don't want to do war."
Kim recently ordered an underground nuclear test. It trained ties between the U.S. and the North, but that seemed to be the least of Rodman's concerns. He'll forever call Kim his good friend.
"Someone who hypothetically is a murderer who is your friend is still a murderer," Stephanopoulos told Rodman during the interview.
"Well, you know what, seriously, you know what, guess what, guess what, what I did, what I did was history," Rodman replied.
The former basketball star said he plans to return to North Korea.
