Rodman Holds Tryouts for Exhibition Match in Pyongyang

Just don't ask what happens to those who don't make the cut

PYONGYANG, North Korea—Former NBA star Dennis Rodman held tryouts Friday for a North Korean team to face a dozen NBA veterans in an exhibition game on leader Kim Jong Un's birthday next month—though he hasn't convinced all the players on the American team that it's safe to come to Pyongyang.

The flamboyant Hall of Famer said plans for the Jan. 8 game are moving ahead but some of the 12 Americans he wants are afraid to come.

Some foreign analysts say the dramatic purge and execution of Kim's once-powerful uncle less than a week ago has cast doubt on Kim's future. But officials here say there is no instability and Kim remains firmly in control.