Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who won championships with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, announced he plans to head to Russia in order to provide aid to Brittney Griner.
Dennis Rodman via Lewis Howes YouTube
Griner was arrested on drug trafficking and drug possession charges in Russia back in February and would plead guilty to the charges in July telling a Russian court, “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.”
The court would find her guilty at the beginning of August and sentence her to 9 years in prison and fine her one million rubles or the equivalent of $16,200.
Brittney Griner via 11Alive YouTube
Rodman told NBC News he plans to go to Russia within the week to help Griner saying, “I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl”
He added, “I’m trying to go this week.”
Dennis Rodman via NBA on ESPN YouTube
Rodman’s announcement comes after the Biden administration revealed they had provided Russia with a “substantial proposal” in order to secure both Griner, who they claim is being wrongfully detained, and former Marine Paul Whelan’s release.
Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken announced at a press conference, “In the coming days, I expect to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov for the first time since the war began. I plan to raise an issue that’s a top priority for us: the release of Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, who have been wrongfully detained and must be allowed to come home.”
“We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release,” he added. “Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal. And I’ll use the conversation to follow up personally and, I hope, move us toward a resolution.”
John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications also addressed the public saying, “Now, months ago President Biden directed his national security team to pursue every avenue to bring Brittney home safely to her family, her friends, her loved ones, her teammates.”
“The US government continues to work aggressively pursuing every avenue to make that happen. Now, as part of those efforts, we made a substantial offer to secure the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner to bring them home just as Secretary Blinken mentioned earlier.”
John Kirby via The Independent YouTube
RELATED: Enes Kanter Freedom: The United States Should Not Trade ‘The Merchant Of Death’ For Brittney Griner
Later in his address, Kirby said, “In order to decrease the chances for success we’re obviously not going to be able to share more publicly about the deal. I’m sure you all have questions about what this looks like and I’m sure you can all understand that it’s not going to help us get them home if we’re negotiating in public with y’all. So I’m not going to have any more detail on that.”
“But I will say that the President and his team are willing to take extraordinary steps to bring our people home as we demonstrated with Trevor Reed. And that’s what we’re doing right here. It’s actively happening now,” he claimed.
The package that the Biden administration proposed was reportedly a prisoner swap involving convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Reuters reported, “One source familiar with the situation said that Washington was willing to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, whose life helped inspire the 2005 Hollywood film Lord of War starring Nicholas Cage.”
WHITE PLAINS, NY – NOVEMBER 16: In this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, former Soviet military officer and arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout (C) deplanes after arriving at Westchester County Airport November 16, 2010 in White Plains, New York. Bout was extradited from Thailand to the U.S. to face terrorism charges after a final effort by Russian diplomats to have him released failed. (Photo by U.S. Department of Justice via Getty Images)
RELATED: World Series Champion Curt Schilling Blasts Brittney Griner And LeBron James: “OBEY THE F***ING LAW”
While the Biden administration claims Griner is being wrongfully detained, the crime she plead guilty to is also a crime in the United States.
Boston University notes that if you possess less than 50 kg of marijuana or less than 1kg of hash oil you can be sentenced to prison up to 5 years and fined up to $250,000.
Source: Boston University
YouTuber Ryan Kinel of Sports Wars reacted to Rodman’s comments saying, “It has been very obvious that despite all the efforts from all the woke mainstream media, by the WNBA, and by everyone else that Joe Biden and the United States government has been completely inept in terms of bringing Brittney Griner back home.”
He later added, “Do I think Dennis Rodman’s gonna work anything out? I don’t know. I’m not sure if that’s gonna be the thing to move the needle on it.”
“I do know that right now, Biden has been so weak and so ineffectual that you might as well give Dennis Rodman a chance to go over there and see what happens,” he added.
Dennis Rodman via The Jordan Harbinger Show
What do you make of Rodman heading to Russia to help out Griner?