At least it’s one way he’s on the ball!

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un begged the US to send a team of “famous basketball players” as an assist to diplomatic relations, according to a report.

The quirky dictator — already known for his unlikely friendship with former NBA pro Dennis Rodman — made the request in writing before February’s summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, according to ABC News, which cited two US officials.

The Chicago Bulls fan even insisted his bizarre request be part of the joint statement on denuclearization that he planned to make with President Trump before their talks deteriorated.

“While we did not reach an agreement with [North Korea] at Hanoi, we exchanged detailed positions and narrowed the gap on a number of issues,” a State Department official quipped to ABC News in a statement.

Kim has never hidden his love for the sport, one he shared with his father, Kim Jong Il, who once tried to get Michael Jordan sent to North Korea.



Jordan declined that request, with then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright instead giving the leader a basketball signed by the hoops great.

Once in power, Kim Jong Un also seemed ready to shoot for basketball diplomacy — with previous reports saying the Obama administration had considered sending star players to jump-start diplomatic efforts.

But that still did not prepare for the unexpected friendship he struck with Rodman, 57, after they first met in 2013 while in Pyongyang on a basketball trip.

Since then, the unlikely pair have taken jet-skiing trips, belted out James Brown during karaoke sessions and had the occasional drink together.

Rodman also repeatedly offered to get involved in diplomatic talks between “Chairman Kim” and Trump “for our Nation’s benefit.”

“He’s very much like his father,” former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson told ABC. “He loves basketball and he loves cultural exchanges.”