CHICAGO -- Dennis Rodman is preparing to thrill North Korean fans during an exhibition basketball tour there late next month. Though he ducked questions in an interview with The Associated Press about whether his Christmas-time visit would be used for propaganda purposes by Kim Jong Un, the 29-year-old leader of one of the worlds most repressive regimes, Rodman said hell be accompanied on the trip by a dozen or so former NBA players. But he refused to name names. "I have seven people right now," Rodman said. "I talked to a couple of guys last week. Lot of guys are saying, OK, great. Ill go. Well go. But Im not saying this to get people to go over there to prove a point -- OK, great, lets go over there and make a difference. "No-o-o-o-o-o," he continued. "Lets go over there because this is a great opportunity for everyone to see a different culture. ... This country is so bad. This city is so bad. OK, great, come see it and tell the world when you come back, Hey, its not as bad as you think. And thats why Im taking NBA players over there, to show them, so they can come back and talk about it." Back in the news as a self-appointed ambassador and friend of Kim, Rodman returned Thursday to where he won the last three of his five NBA championships playing alongside Michael Jordan. On a promotional tour to pitch a vodka brand, Rodman, 52, held court downtown amid camera flashes. Rodman said he wouldnt talk about his relationship with Kim or North Korean politics, including its widely condemned human-rights record and secretive nuclear weapons program. Though he eventually touched on those subjects, Rodman glossed over several related questions and largely ignored a challenge to his answer about whether North Korea was holding U.S. citizens as hostages, including 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman. The Swedish Embassy is negotiating on behalf of Newman because the U.S. has no diplomatic ties to North Korea. Rodmans friendship with Kim has afforded him the kind of access denied statesmen from the West and even U.S. President Barack Obama. Rodman came under criticism for being "naive" during a previous visit to North Korea, where he was photographed often with Kim, and some members of the diplomatic community fear his antics could further aggravate already-sensitive negotiations. Rodman said his reasons for returning were much more personal and beyond that, Kims motives were not his concern. "Like I told you, this is not all about trying to create this major buzz," Rodman said. "Because I dont want my friend to sit there and say I been doing this all along to slip in some information on him. I dont want that. Thats why Im not doing that. Were friends and thats it. "This aint about me trying to be a politician and try to get some scoop on him and stuff like that. ... Hes my friend first. Other than that, I dont give a damn what ... he does." Rodman began his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons in 1986. It ended in 2000, after failed attempts to catch on with both the Lakers and Mavericks. Whether or not he misses the game, its clear he enjoys being back in the limelight, detractors and all. "People say, what do you do for a living? I dont know. I just float around the world. Basically, I dont do anything. I do a lot of major things around the world. I do things that is very significant right now, and people are actually paying attention to Dennis Rodman now. "Back when I was doing my finagling in sports, they thought I was a joke. They thought I was a cartoon character or something like that. All of a sudden now, people are taking me seriously. You know, an ambassador all around the world," he added. "Its like ... I think things have come full circle." DeAndre Jordan Jersey . -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Kevin Durant Jersey . On Tuesday, the star questioned whether that was still the case. Speaking to reporters at a charity event, Johnson said: "I just kind of wonder sometimes: Is this still the place for me?" Johnsons comments came after he was asked why he recently skipped a voluntary minicamp. https://www.netsrookiesshop.com/Spencer-...Edition-Jersey/. Portuguese sides Benfica and Porto also advanced to the last eight while Basel overcame an early red card to win 2-1 at Salzburg and progress from a last-16 second leg that was briefly suspended because of crowd trouble. Lyon, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar will also be in Fridays draw in Nyon, Switzerland, where the team to avoid will be Juventus -- even though the Italian champions made heavy work of their all-Italian last-16 match against Fiorentina. Jarrett Allen Jersey . Chile applied pressure in midfield right from the beginning, challenging aggressively and continually surging forward. Eduardo Vargas beat the offside trap and fired home a stinging shot for Chiles opening goal in the fifth minute. Caris LeVert Jersey . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday.LONDON -- Mohamed Salah scored one goal and played a part in the other two as Chelsea strolled to a 3-0 victory over Stoke to recover from back-to-back losses and reclaim the provisional Premier League lead Saturday. Even though Jose Mourinho downplays Chelseas title prospects, his team remain in the mix with a relatively undemanding run-in, apart from a trip to Liverpool. And its Liverpool that can ensure Chelseas stay at the top this weekend is short-lived by winning Sunday at West Ham. This was a routine victory for Chelsea against a Stoke side that presented little attacking threat, and Salah profited on his first start since joining from Basel in January. Salah was left unmarked when he netted the opener in the 32nd minute, and after the break the Egypt winger won the penalty that Frank Lampard first saw saved before netting the rebound. Salah set up Willian to curl in Chelseas third in the 72nd to wrap up a fifth consecutive home win, with the team scoring 17 unanswered goals during a formidable period at Stamford Bridge. The problems are away, having lost the last two league games on the road to struggling sides Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, and at Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their quarterfinal on Wednesday. "Away we have some matches where we must change our profile ... and adapt to the situation," Mourinho said. "If I go to a wedding, I dont go in jeans," he added. "And if I leave my house to go for a walk in Hyde Park I dont go in a smoking (jacket)." Mourinho accepted that it took at least 15 minutes for his team to "recover self-esteem and confidence." Not that Fernando Torres seemed to have any. The misfiring striker started up front again after being dropped for the 3-1 loss in Paris, but did little to convince Mourinho that he should be part of the team for next season. After two early efforts there was little danger from the player whose career has been in a downward spiral since joining Chellsea in 2011 for 50 million pounds (then $80 million) from Liverpool.dddddddddddd Torres first struck wide, then had a low close-range effort blocked by Asmir Begovic after Stoke defender Marc Wilson inadvertently chested the ball to him. While Torres has just one goal in 2014, Salah now has two since joining Chelsea in January. From a throw-in, Nemanja Matics cutback reached Salah, who was left completely unchallenged by the Stoke defence to power the ball into the net. "We bought a kid from a different habitat, an Egyptian player playing in Switzerland, we knew the kid was going to take time," Mourinho said of the 21-year-old Salah. "You feel it immediately the connection between him and the crowd." Although Branislav Ivanovic had the ball in the net again for Chelsea before halftime, the goal was ruled out for offside. Instead, the lead was extended after the break, with substitute Eden Hazard involved in the two goals. The penalty was won after the Belgium midfielder flicked the ball onto Salah, who was then brought down by Andy Wilkinson. Although Lampards penalty was saved, he reacted quickly to stab the rebound into the net in the 61st. It was his 250th goal in club football, encompassing his time at West Ham and Swansea before joining Chelsea in 2001. Stokes defence was cut through again with ease for the third goal. Hazard brought the ball forward from inside his own half and squared to Salah. Willian then collected the ball and had time to move forward unchallenged before bending the ball into the top corner. "He was so sharp on the ball," Lampard said of Willian. "The goal was the epitomy of what he does better than anyone I think Ive played with." Whether Chelsea players end up with Premier League winners medals this season remains unclear. Now its about hoping Liverpool slips up at West Ham and then overturning the deficit against PSG on Tuesday and advancing to the Champions League semifinals. ' ' '