Dennis Rodman: I Was There for Basketball, We’re Not Talking About Politics

Dennis Rodman's Trips to North Korea (CNN)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Thursday, the country's state-run media reported.
Rodman was there for his latest round of controversial "basketball diplomacy" in a country ruled by one of the world's most repressive regimes.

The former player and a documentary crew were scheduled to spend four days helping to train a team of North Korean basketball players for a January exhibition in Pyongyang.

That January 8 exhibition -- said to be against a yet-unannounced team of former NBA players -- will celebrate the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom Rodman has called a friend and a "very good guy" despite international condemnation of the country's human rights records.

Rodman's trip -- sponsored by the online betting company Paddy Power -- is the 52-year-old's third to North Korea.