• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Dennis Rodman has backflipped on his plans of travelling to Russia to free Brittney Griner

Home> NBA

Published 01:38 26 Aug 2022 GMT+1

Dennis Rodman has backflipped on his plans of travelling to Russia to free Brittney Griner

It's understood the NBA icon was given a warning from the US government not to travel to Russia.

The SPORTbible Team

The SPORTbible Team

By Rachel Lang

NBA legend Dennis Rodman will no longer travel to Russia to plead with President Vladimir Putin to free WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Rodman revealed days ago that he intended to travel to Russia to speak to Putin to ask for the release of the basketball star after she was jailed for drug possession earlier in the year.

"I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl," Rodman told NBC News on Monday (August 22).

Advert

He added: "I'm trying to go this week."

Rodman now has ditched his plans to visit Russia after he was strongly advised by US state officials to abandon the trip.

Alamy

Spokesman for the State Department Ned Price said if the former NBA star went on his planned journey to visit Putin then he 'would not be travelling on behalf of the US government.'

Advert

"We believe that anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder those release efforts," Price said, as per the Daily Mail.

Rodman has since abandoned the trip.

Griner, 31, is currently behind bars after she was arrested at a Russian airport back in February for drug possession.

Police found cannabis oil cartridges in her luggage, which has since been confirmed to have contained less than a gram of THC.

Advert

She was subsequently found guilty during a politically charged trial and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.

The WNBA star has since been languishing in a jail that has been likened to the Soviet Union's notorious gulag labour camps.

Griner's wife, Cherelle spoke to CNN about the situation back in July, revealing that her wife was forced into a 'very, very, very tiny cage' for every five-hour trip to court in Russia.

Alamy

Advert

"It's really, really difficult. This is not a situation where the rhetoric is matching the action," Cherelle began.

She continued: "I do have to unfortunately push people to make sure that the things they're telling me are also matching their actions and so it's been the hardest thing to balance because I can't let up."

Rodman had hoped to negotiate Griner's release with the Russian President, who he has previously described as 'cool'.

Rodman has previously claimed he managed to negotiate the release of several US citizens detained in North Korea, including Christian missionary Kenneth Bae, according to reports by Time.

Advert

Rodman had hoped to replicate his success in North Korea in Russia.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Australia, NBA, Basketball, Russia

The SPORTbible Team
The SPORTbible Team

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
22 hours ago
2 days ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Steph Curry snubbed Michael Jordan when naming the NBA star he wishes he played with after controversial Hall of Fame comment

    Basketball's biggest names are never short of an opinion or two

    NBA
  • 22 hours ago

    Michael Jordan wanted to give his wages to one 'underpaid' Bulls teammate who he can't stand to speak to now

    Michael Jordan wanted to find a legal way to pay a portion of his pay packet to his teammate, who he is now not on great terms with.

    NBA
  • 2 days ago

    Anthony Edwards didn't hesitate when naming surprise NBA star who he ranks above Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate

    The Minnesota Timberwolves star has given his verdict on the subject.

    NBA
  • 2 days ago

    Michael Jordan had zero doubts when naming one 'special' talent from the new generation of NBA players and he's already dismantled Steph Curry

    MJ had his say on modern-day basketball and the new generation of talent coming through.

    NBA
  • Steph Curry one of only two players in NBA history to pass 'hate test' and it proves his greatness
  • LeBron James has already revealed the NBA team he plans to invest his $1,200,000,000 fortune into
  • Michael Jordan wanted to give his wages to one 'underpaid' Bulls teammate who he can't stand to speak to now
  • Dennis Rodman is flying to Russia to help release Brittney Griner