Dennis Rodman not going to help Brittney Griner's release from Russian prison

Former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman had been planning to go to Russia in an effort to free WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner from a Russian prison after being found guilty of drug possession. He told the public last week that he was all set to go there but the U.S. government publicly discouraged his plan. Now he appears to have changed his mind and will not be going to Russia.

Griner has been sentenced to nine years in early August for bringing cannabis oil vape cartridges into Russia in February. On Saturday, Rodman told NBC News that he planned to go there to help Griner.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman said Saturday. “I’m trying to go this week.”

However, government officials the State Department immediately indicated they thought Rodman’s plan was garbage and told the former dribbler and shooter of basketballs that if he had gone, he would not be acting in any official capacity for the United States.

“He would not be traveling on behalf of the U.S. government,” Ned Price, the first openly gay, married to a dude State Department spokesman, told ABC News.

“We believe that anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder those release efforts,” Price added.

Rodman, in the midst of scrutiny over his comments, told ABC News on Monday that he now has no plans to travel to Russia, the network reported.

The State Department also issued a travel advisory to discourage all Americans from visiting Russia.

“Do not travel to Russia due to the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials, the singling out of U.S. citizens in Russia by Russian government security officials including for detention, the arbitrary enforcement of local law, limited flights into and out of Russia, the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19-related restrictions, and terrorism.

“U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart Russia immediately. Exercise increased caution due to wrongful detention,” the advisory outlined.

However, even though the advisory is in place, Rodman does not need special permission from the U.S. to go to Russia. He just would have needed a visa from Moscow. 

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Rodman has a history of informal diplomacy with international leaders who have a strained relationship with the United States. Over the past 10 years, the former NBA star has had a relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and has visited the country multiple times.

And while he might be strange in so many ways, he would still make a better president than Joe Biden, and unlike Brittney Griner, he never "took a knee" during the national anthem.

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