(CNN)It's been described as the biggest diplomatic breakthrough of the 21st century, but to former basketball star Dennis Rodman, Tuesday's meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump was a beautiful moment between two good friends.

Openly wiping away tears from beneath a large pair of black sunglasses, Rodman, who arrived in Singapore overnight, appeared overcome with emotion during an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo Tuesday, as Kim and Trump prepared to sit down for talks in the Asian city-state.

Wearing a red "Make America Great Again" baseball cap, the former NBA Hall-of-Famer said that Tuesday's historic meeting was years in the making.

"It's a great day. I am here to see it. I'm so happy," he said.

Rodman, who has previously boasted of his role in bringing the two leaders together, described how he always believed in helping North Korea.

"Once I got familiar with the culture and situation, I felt like I was at home," he said of his previous trips to the reclusive country, initially as part of a basketball delegation.