Dennis Rodman checks into alcohol rehab after N. Korea trip

By Steve Forrest, CNN

January 19, 2014 -- Updated 0434 GMT (1234 HKT)

Dennis Rodman sings "Happy Birthday" to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, January 8. In his latest round of "basketball diplomacy," Rodman made his fourth visit to North Korea, one of the world's most totalitarian states, to participate in a basketball game between a team of North Koreans and a team of former NBA players.

HIDE CAPTION

Rodman, ex-NBAers play North Korea

<<

<

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

>

>>

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Rodman, 52, enters East Coast rehab center, source says
• The former NBA star was sharply criticized for visiting North Korea
• He partly blamed alcohol for much-criticized comments
• Rodman said dictator Kim Jong Un was a friend

(CNN) -- Former basketball star Dennis Rodman has checked into an alcohol-rehabilitation center after facing backlash for his visit to North Korea.

"He has been in rehab most of this week, and I am very proud of him," said Darren Prince, his agent.

"His drinking escalated to a level that none of us had seen before. When he came back, I discussed with him on a personal level how concerned I was. We sat down and decided for him to go to rehab. It is a 28 or 30 day facility."

He entered a center in the East Coast on Wednesday, a source close to Rodman told CNN.

Rodman -- a former standout on the NBA's Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls who is well known for his tattoos, piercings and colorful behavior -- recently returned to the United States after a tumultuous visit to North Korea, one of the world's most repressive governments.

Rodman to CNN: I don't give a s***

Rodman fiery on Kenneth Bae question

Rodman apology: 'I had been drinking'

Rodman, 52, said alcohol was one reason he shot from the lip earlier this month and told CNN that an American imprisoned in North Korea since 2012 may have done something to deserve his sentence of 15 years' hard labor.

After Kenneth Bae's family complained, Rodman apologized, saying he was under stress and had been drinking when he was interviewed.

Some observers have said Rodman's "basketball diplomacy" may have positive effects in North Korea by offering the people there a different view of the West, compared with its demonic portrayal in the country's tightly controlled state media.

But others, including human rights activists, say it's an embarrassing media sideshow that distracts attention from the North Korean regime's brutality. A State Department official said Rodman's visit was "marginally unhelpful" and Sen. John McCain said of the retired athlete, "I think he's an idiot."

Rodman led a team of former NBA players in a game in North Korea, which he called a birthday present to dictator Kim Jong Un, and, in a bizarre moment, sang "Happy Birthday" inside a packed sports stadium.

Did Rodman's N. Korea trip do more harm?

Ex-Ambassador: Rodman trip unhelpful

Rodman's tearful return

Rodman comes home: A look back

Upon leaving North Korea, Rodman was immediately criticized for his friendship with Kim. A mass of reporters met him at the Bejing airport and Rodman broke into tears while answering questions.

"I'm not the president," he told the reporters. "I'm not an ambassador. I'm Dennis Rodman."

Rodman also said, "I'm sorry for what's going on in North Korea, the certain situations," but he didn't apologize for his visit.

Rodman visited during a time of high tension between the two nations. North Korea has pursued a nuclear program, much to the Untied States' distress.

Rodman visited North Korea in February 2013 with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. Kim was known to be an avid basketball fan while attending school as a teenager in Switzerland.

CNN's Ralph Ellis contributed to this report.