In his statement Rodman said the day of the CNN interview had been “very stressful”.
“Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates,” he said, adding that his dream of “basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart”.
“I had been drinking,” he said. “It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed.”
Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator, was arrested in November 2012 as he entered the northeastern North Korean port city of Rason.
North Korea described Bae as a Christian evangelist who smuggled inflammatory material into the country and sentenced him to 15 years’ hard labour for allegedly seeking to topple the government.
Asked in the CNN interview if he would use his influence with Kim Jong-Un to make the case for Bae’s release, Rodman had said: “I don’t give a rat’s ass what the hell you think.”
Rodman played in the first half of Wednesday’s exhibition game before changing out of his basketball gear and joining Kim in the stands, where they chatted and smoked together.
Kim just last month oversaw the execution of his powerful uncle and political mentor Jang Song-Thaek on charges of treason and corruption.
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