Perhaps a long campaign to bring about diplomatic peace just got…well… ‘code-browned.’ A bizarre and colorful allegation surrounding Hall-of-Fame basketball star Dennis Rodman has resurfaced, shining new light on the sudden fracture of his unlikely, high-profile bond with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. It comes when US President Donald Trump is reportedly enlisting him to establish diplomatic relations with North Korea.

For most of Trump’s presidency, many believed he’d bring the most flamboyant NBA player on as a diplomatic envoy to North Korea. Mostly due to Rodman’s well-documented friendship with Kim Jong Un. However, it appears that Trump is a decade too late.

According to Washington Post foreign policy columnist Josh Rogin, the friendship between Kim and Rodman cooled after an explosive, alcohol-fueled incident during one of the rebounding legend’s stays in Pyongyang.

Rogin stated publicly that the 5x NBA champion allegedly became severely intoxicated and defecated on a hotel room floor. It was ultimately (and quite understandably) a disastrous breach of decorum that reportedly damaged his ties with the North Korean leader.

“Kim Jong Un broke off his friendship with Rodman after the last visit where Rodman allegedly got super drunk and allegedly defecated on the hotel room floor. He can’t help Trump with North Korean diplomacy anymore,” Rogin wrote on X, effectively dropping an unfiltered digestive catastrophe on the POTUS’ foreign diplomacy plans.

Dennis Rodman’s international fallout reignited amid White House move

Rogin’s wild reminder brings renewed attention to reports stemming back to 2014. Accounts from hotel staff at Pyongyang’s luxury Koryo Hotel initially detailed Dennis Rodman’s behavior as uncontrollable during his stays.

Staff alleged that heavily intoxicated episodes led to property damage and public intoxication in a hallway.

Rodman’s return to the United States following those chaotic trips coincided with his two stints at alcohol rehabilitation facilities to seek treatment in 2014 and 2018.

The bizarre rift marks a dramatic end to one of the most eccentric personal dynamics in modern pop culture and sports history. Rodman, arguably the greatest rebounder in NBA history and a central pillar of two Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” championship teams and Michael Jordan’s 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty, first embarked on his unorthodox “basketball diplomacy” tour to North Korea in 2013.

Kim Jong Un, who grew up a devoted fan of the ’90s Bulls while attending boarding school in Switzerland, welcomed the Basketball Hall of Famer with open arms. Across at least five separate visits between 2013 and 2017, the pair were photographed sitting courtside during exhibition games, sharing meals, and enjoying leisure activities.

Rodman famously declared Kim a “friend for life” and even cradled Kim’s infant daughter, Ju Ae, making global headlines by publicly revealing her name for the first time.

The timing of Rogin’s resurfaced allegations coincides with political speculation about the president enlisting the NBA legend for international outreach.

Rodman, whose history with Donald Trump also dates back to his appearance on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2009, is scheduled to drop by Trump’s rally in Oklahoma soon.

“After the midterms, Trump wants to refocus again on North Korea and start talking about Kim Jong Un,” one source close to Rodman and familiar with the travel plans told The New York Post.

Those who forgot the 2017 incident have always believed that Trump would eventually call upon Rodman to serve as ambassador. The Worm even previously attended the 2018 U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore as an informal observer.

However, with secondary reports citing that North Korean officials informed Rodman he would not be welcomed back until he completed alcohol treatment, any informal intermediary role appears entirely off the table.

Yet, the source close to Rodman said there’s some general optimism that he could restore his friendship with Kim too. “Dennis believes he’s the ambassador of goodwill between North Korea and the United States. As Trump ponders what to do next, he’s been soliciting ideas and one of those key people he’s talking to is Dennis.”

While neither Rodman’s representatives nor North Korean state media have issued formal statements verifying or denying the allegations about the hotel floor, the story adds a definitive, jaw-dropping chapter to the fallout from the NBA and world history’s most bizarre friendship.