( CNN ) -- It may be more important to tell you what is not motivating my trip to see Dennis Rodman . I am not looking to spar about his `` friend , '' the much-maligned ruler of North Korea , or to debate the merits of basketball diplomacy in that country when I sit down to talk with him live Friday morning . Dennis can speak to an issue that is a bigger threat to our country than Kim Jong Un : addiction . Rodman may be in the fight of and for his life , and it is a battle all too familiar these days . I want to talk to him about that , his recent bottom , what has kept him from sobriety . And hopefully he is willing to talk about the challenges and the benefits of rehab , as readily as he discusses the virtues of his despot `` friend . '' Maybe that friendship has metaphoric value for Rodman : keeping cozy with his own demons , abusing drugs to hide from himself -- just as he hid from the reality of that country and its ruler ? Too far ? Probably , but he is face-to-face with a battle that too many are fighting and losing . I want to see how much fight the hardwood warrior has in him to get sober and treat his illness . I hope he is as fired up about his future as he was in our last interview about defending his friend . Rodman defiant in odd N. Korea defense . Rodman to Cuomo : I do n't give a s*** . The last time we talked it was earlier this month while he was in Pyongyang for a basketball game on Kim 's birthday . I did n't intend to get into a joust with the former NBA star , but believe it or not , Rodman is the U.S. citizen with the most direct line to a dictator with nuclear weapons , and I needed to ask him some questions about the political nature of his trip . So I asked him about the plight of prisoner Kenneth Bae , and his antics made headlines . He said later he was drunk during the interview and when he got back to the United States , he checked into a rehab center . This time we 're going to talk in person . I want to know , I want to see for myself , how he 's doing in the biggest battle of his life . What do you think I should ask him ? Reach out to me on Facebook or Twitter . Watch New Day weekdays at 6am-9am ET . For the latest on New Day click here .
Dennis Rodman will talk with Rodman during NBA 's New Day on Friday . Rodman entered rehab after returning from a controversial trip to North Korea . During that trip , Rodman launched into an outburst while being interviewed by Cuomo . Dennis Rodman later apologized and said he had been drinking .