Dennis Rodman picks North Korean basketball team to face NBA stars for Kim Jong Un's birthday Dennis Rodman has spent his first day in North Korea holding basketball tryouts He will pick a team of 12 to face other former NBA stars in a match next year The game will be held to mark Kim Jong Un's birthday on January 8 Rodman is due to be in the communist country until Christmas eve Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has held tryouts for a North Korean basketball team while on a visit to the communist state. Rodman watched as a few dozen players showed off their skills for a chance to be selected for a match against an American team to mark dictator Kim Jong Un's birthday on January 8. But while Rodman is close to picking 12 Korean players for the game - who will each receive two new pairs of shoes - he admits he's struggling to convince some of the Americans to come. Former Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman has held tryouts in North Korea for a basketball team to play a match against former NBA athletes to mark dictator Kim Jong Un's birthday Rodman spent his first day in the secretive state watching a few dozen local players show off their skills Speaking after the tryouts, Rodman said: 'You know, they're still afraid to come here, but I'm just telling them, you know, don't be afraid man, it's all love, it's all love here. 'I understand what's going on with the political stuff, and I say, I don't go into that venture, I'm just doing one thing for these kids here, and for this country, and for my country, and for the world pretty much.' Wearing a pink button-down shirt and puffing on a cigar, Rodman asked one player, Kim Un Chol, why he liked basketball. Chol said it was because he had seen it on TV and knew it was a favourite of Kim Jong Un and his father Kim Jong Il. When Rodman asked the other players if they felt the same, they all nodded with enthusiasm. While Rodman is close to picking his starting 12 for the match, he admits he's struggling to convince the Americans to come as they fear for their safety Wearing a pink shirt and puffing on a cigar Rodman explained to the players that if they get picked they will each be given two new pairs of shoes In the spirit of unity the January 8 match will be played with Americans verses Koreans for one half, but with mixed teams for the second half 'I want you guys to do one thing for your leader,' Rodman then told them. 'It's his birthday. It's a very special, special day for the country.' It is less than a week since Kim's powerful uncle was dragged from office and executed, but Rodman has refused to comment on the issue, or on the detention of American Kenneth Bae for allegedly committing anti-state crimes. Instead his focus has been on sport and the basketball game which he hopes will be without political or nationalistic undertones. In aid of that goal, North Korea will play against America in the first half, but for the second half the teams will be mixed. Rodman has said he will not ask his 'good friend' Kim about the execution of his uncle just over a week ago When Rodman asked the players why they liked the sport they all agreed it was because it was favoured by their leader and his father, Kim Jong Il Rodman added: 'It's not about win or loss. It's about one thing - unite two countries.' If all goes well Rodman says he will be planning another game in July. Rodman, 52, a former Chicago Bulls player, has been fiercely criticised by both Americans and North Koreans for his relationship with Kim who has imprisoned and murdered thousands of his own impoverished citizens. The bizarre friendship between the two which began while Rodman was filming an HBO series about the Harlem Globetrotters in February. Dennis Keith Rodman was born on May 13, 1961, in Trenton, New Jersey. His father left home while he was young, and according to his website his mother disowned him after he was accused of stealing watches while working as a janitor at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. However in his late teens Rodman found success as a basketball player and quickly established himself as one of the NBA's most unique talents. He famously spent a period of his life cross-dressing, appearing at various celebrity events dressed in women's clothing, and decided to hold several interviews from inside gay bars. He had high-profile relationships with Madonna and actress Carmen Electra, before deciding to settle down Rodman-style by marrying himself while wearing a white silk dress. He also became very well known for his numerous tattoos, facial piercings and multicolored hair. However following retirement Rodman had a series of high-profile court appearances with his ex-wife Michelle over refusal to pay several hundred thousand dollars of child support. He was also sentenced to 104 hours of community service in May 2012. Since then he has become an unlikely quasi-political figure, appearing at the Vatican after the retirement of Emeritus Pope Benedict to try and elect the world's first black Pope, before striking up a weird and much-criticised friendship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Rodamn met the communist leader in February this year while filming an HBO show about the Harlem Globetrotters and has since visited the secretive state several times. Despite his insistence that he will not involve himself in diplomacy, he referred to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as 'a**holes' after one visit in which he failed to convince his 'good friend' Kim to 'do me a solid' and release American prisoner Kenneth Bae.