In his first interview since entering an alcohol rehabilitation facility two weeks ago, former NBA star Dennis Rodman told CNN's Chris Cuomo that the reason he drinks is because he's bored.
He said he went to rehab because it "Was a great time to come here to reflect and try to put myself at ease, at peace."
Earlier this month, the colorful basketball Hall of Famer led a team of former NBA players on a trip to North Korea that included playing a game on leader Kim Jong Un's birthday.
The players were criticized for traveling to the secretive state, a nation accused of human rights abuses. North Korea also has pursued a nuclear program, despite efforts to halt it by the United States and other Western powers. Ref. USAToday
NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is expected to arrive in North Korea Tuesday, according to two officials in that country who spoke to CNN.
CNN spotted Rodman at Beijing International Airport, where he declined to answer questions. Rodman would be arriving in Pyongyang at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Pyongyang, which is currently detaining four Americans.
It's unclear what the purpose of Rodman's visit to the secretive country could be, but the eccentric former basketball player -- and a former contestant on Donald Trump's pre-presidency reality TV show "Celebrity Apprentice" -- is one of the only Americans to have met current North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
When asked by CNN journalists in Pyongyang, unnamed North Korean officials confirmed that Rodman is expected to arrive in Pyongyang Tuesday. They gave no further details. Ref. CNN.