14 DAY TRIAL // Dennis Rodman was once the star of the NBA circuit, famous for his rebounding skills, but following his tour of North Korea where he played a game in honor of dictator Kim Jong-Un's birthday, the troubled sportsman is now heading to rehab to tackle his alcohol addiction.
Rodman made headline news when he got into a verbal argument with a CNN host in an interview prior to his departure in North Korea. At the time, Rodman was asked if he would use his influence to facilitate the freeing of one US citizen held captive by the North Korean government without accusation.
The former Chicago Bulls player went into a violent rant, laced with profanity, trying to defend the North Korean dictator, but wasn't able to offer any real arguments. He later apologized for his outburst and claimed he had been drinking prior to the interview.
As he has made his return from North Korea, the controversial Rodman is now heading to rehab according to his agent, due to emotional distress which is said to have left him in a rough shape emotionally.
The basketball game was slated as a means of easing the tensions between North Korea and the United States, but it never managed to bank on its touted “basketball diplomacy.”
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is said to be a huge basketball fan, especially of the Chicago Bulls, Rodman's former team. The two are now enjoying a close friendship as video from the event showed a hoarse-voice Rodman singing “Happy Birthday” to the dictator.
Kim previously made the news earlier this month when he had his uncle, a former right hand and one of the most powerful generals in the country, executed after he was accused of treason. The former general was allegedly sentenced to “death by dogs,” an act which involved him being killed by a pack of hungry dogs.
One of the things that Rodman was accused of was his willingness to overlook these transgressions in his North Korean friend, including the continued captivity of American citizen Kenneth Bae.