Dennis Rodman, the tattooed NBA Hall of Famer, just paid a visit to North Korea—and no, that’s not an Onion headline. What does this mean for US–North Korean relations? “It’s a dangerous moment,” The Nation’s Dave Zirin says, “so if Dennis Rodman, with his clownish antics, or what have you, can even provide the slightest speck of daylight where we’re talking about this country in terms other than demonizing them, he has actually done more than a lot of diplomats have.” Zirin joins ESPN’s Outside the Lines to discuss the meaning and precedent of Rodman’s visit.

—James Cersonsky

Another basketballer, Royce White, is becoming an ambassador for mental health, in sports and the world over. Read Dave Zirin’s interview.