“Someone shut him up” Dennis Rodman’s plan for Brittney Griner disgruntled by Joe Biden’s administration


“Someone shut him up” Dennis Rodman’s plan for Brittney Griner disgruntled by Joe Biden’s administration

Dennis Rodman, Brittney Griner, Joe Biden

It doesn’t appear like Dennis Rodman had “permission” from the White House for his decision to go to Russia and work to gain Brittney Griner‘s release. According to a top undisclosed official in President Joe Biden‘s administration, the White House is not a fan of Rodman’s idea and thinks it may actually make it more difficult for Griner to be released. The former NBA player made the announcement on Saturday that he intended to go to Russia to advocate for Griner’s release after she was recently given a nine-year prison sentence for drug-related offences.

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Griner, 31, is a star player in the Women’s National Basketball Association and a two-time Olympic winner  was found guilty by a Russian court earlier this month and given a nine-year term for narcotic felonies. Rodman has already participated in covert diplomacy with international leaders whose ties to the United States have been tense, so if he visits Russia, it won’t be the first time. The decision has been denounced by President Joe Biden as being “unacceptable.” Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trader serving a 25-year jail sentence in the US, has been offered as a swap for her by the US.

What we know about the Brittney Griner scenario in Russia so far

Since her detention on February 17 at the Sheremetyevo International Airport on the grounds that she was in possession of illegal in Russia hashish oil-filled vape cartridges, Brittney Griner has been kept by the Russian authorities. Like many other female basketball players, Griner participates in international competitions during the WNBA summer season to increase her income and maintain her performance. When Griner was her route to the UMMC Ekaterinburg team in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League, she was apprehended. Despite the fact that her attorneys had filed an appeal, she was subsequently given a 9-year prison sentence earlier this month.

After being selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the 2013 WNBA Draft, Brittney Griner, a 2012 national college champion and Player of the Year at Baylor University, entered the league. The 31-year-old, one of the best defenders in the Women’s National Basketball Association, was selected in 2021 as one of the top 25 players in WNBA league history. She has won two Olympic gold medals, a WNBA championship, and other awards since beginning her professional career in 2013 with the US women’s national basketball team. She rose to fame as the first out homosexual athlete to secure a multimillion-dollar contract with Nike.

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Biden administration says ‘NO’ to Dennis Rodman

Following the WNBA player’s nine-year prison sentence, the 61-year-old five-time NBA champion announced plans to visit Russia and urge the release of Griner, the two-time Olympic gold medalist. However, a senior administration official who requested anonymity made it plain that the White House does not concur. Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department, told reporters during a briefing on Monday that if Rodman visited Russia, he would not be doing it on the government payroll. He said that the government has repeatedly warned Americans not to visit Russia due to, among other things, the risk of unjustified detentions and Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Although this proposal appears to be completely spontaneous, it’s conceivable that Rodman’s prior interactions with Russia motivated him to attempt to assist. In 2014, he visited the nation at Vladimir Putin’s request and afterwards referred to the Russian leader as “cool.” At the time, Rodman asserted that his visit had nothing to do with politics and that he was only serving as a basketball ambassador. According to reports, the Biden administration has suggested a prisoner swap that would swap Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, another detained American, for renowned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is being held in the United States. If Rodman’s journey to Russia is successful, he might emerge as a hero whereas it might worsen the problem at the same time.

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