Former NBA star Rodman arrested on suspicion of DUI in Southern California

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was arrested in Newport Beach, a city 30 kilometers east of Los Angeles downtown and charged with driving under the influence (DUI), the local police said Sunday.

Rachel Johnson, Area 3 Commander in the Patrol Division of Newport Beach Police Department, was quoted by local media as saying that the 56-year-old Hall of Famer was pulled of for a traffic violation then failed a breathalyzer test given on scene.

Rodman was arrested and spent the night in jail before he was released early Sunday.

Rodman, who has a history of alcohol abuse, was required to attend an alcohol program in July 2000 after he pleaded guilty to DUI and was also checked into a rehabilitation facility in January 2014.

last February, Rodman was sentenced to three years of probation for misdemeanor charges stemming from going the wrong way onto highway in Santa Ana of Southern California.

In this case, Rodman drove an SUV onto an exit ramp for a carpool lane for Interstate 5 highway, causing another driver who had to swerve to avoid hitting him to crash into a center divider.

Rodman is an American retired professional basketball player, who played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks of NBA. The five-time NBA championship winner was nicknamed "The Worm" and was known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities.

Apart from basketball, Rodman also attracted international attention for his visits to Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and his friendly relationship with the DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un. Enditem