John Kerry on Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-Un Comments: Stick With Basketball, Not Politics

Former presidential candidate and current Secretary of State John Kerry was not a fan of NBA great Dennis Rodman's comments regarding controversial North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

On location from Doha, Qatar on Tuesday, Kerry told NBC News of Rodman's encouragement to President Obama to reach out to Kim, "Dennis Rodman was a great basketball player. And as a diplomat, he is a great basketball player. And that's where we'll leave it."

Kerry was, of course, referring to Rodman's latest foray into makeshift diplomacy when he traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea last week to shoot a new HBO show with the Harlem Globetrotters. During that time, Rodman was a guest of Kim, a die-hard basketball fan, hanging out with the controversial Korean leader over food, ice skating and a basketball game.

Afterwards, the Korean government was criticized by the State Department for entertaining Rodman while others in their country were dealing with impoverished conditions.

However, Rodman insisted in an interview Sunday with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that President Obama should reach out to Kim, calling him a great leader and "my friend. I don't condone what he does. But as a person to person, he's my friend."

"What he does," as Rodman referred to regarding Kim, alluded to North Korea's poor civil rights record, which included prison camps and reports torture of inmates, starvation and repressed civil liberties.

While President Obama himself has not commented on Rodman nor Kim's request, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney had some harsh words for Kim's regime Monday.

"Instead of spending money on celebrity sporting events to entertain the elites of that country, the North Korean regime should focus on the well-being of its own people, who have been starved, imprisoned and denied their human rights," said Carney.