USA

Dennis Rodman Enters Alcohol Rehab

Former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman is followed by journalists as he arrives at the Capital International Airport in Beijing from Pyongyang, Jan. 13, 2014.

Retired American basketball star Dennis Rodman has checked himself into an alcohol treatment program after returning to the United States from his latest trip to North Korea, where he played an exhibition game for the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Rodman spokesman Darren Prince said Saturday that Rodman checked into the facility voluntarily. He did not disclose the location of the center and did not say how long Rodman would be there.

While on his self-described "basketball diplomacy" trip, Rodman gave an incoherent, profanity-filled rant during a live interview with CNN, in which he seemed to imply that a U.S. citizen deserved to be imprisoned in the North.

In a statement through a publicist, Rodman later said it had been a "stressful day" and he had been drinking before the interview.

Rodman told reporters at the Beijing airport last Monday that he was sorry he could not do anything to help free imprisoned American missionary Kenneth Bae, who was imprisoned by for 15 years of hard labor on a conviction of trying to overthrow the government. He said he is not a diplomat and asked the world to put away politics for one day.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.