Former NBA legend Dennis Rodman, who has developed relationships with world leaders such as Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in recent years, said he's headed to Russia to help push for the prison release of WNBA star Brittney Griner.
"I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl," Rodman told NBC News over the weekend, without divulging whether the international blessing came from United States or Russia officials. "I'm trying to go this week."
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and the military conflict has been ongoing ever since. As such, the State Department has issued a travel advisory for American citizens in Russia, along with those pondering a trip to Moscow.
Earlier this month, Griner received a nine-year prison sentence in Russia after pleading guilty to charges of drug possession and smuggling. In February, Griner was allegedly caught at a Russian airport with vaporizer cartridges containing hashish oil.
In addition to her WNBA career, Griner also plays for the Russian basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Rodman, a basketball Hall of Famer who helped the Pistons (1989, 1990) and Bulls (1996-98) capture five NBA world championships, has garnered post-retirement fame for rubbing elbows with Kim and Putin — at times when relations with the U.S. were somewhat strained.
Both Putin and Kim have acknowledged being fans of Rodman's basketball acumen and capacity for entertaining audiences; and in 2014, Rodman returned the pleasantries by referring to the Russian president as "cool as f***."
Last month, President Joe Biden was reportedly working behind the scenes to get Griner, Paul Whelan and other Americans detained in Russia back home.
According to a White House official, via Axios, the president recently spoke with Elizabeth Whelan — the sister of Paul Whelan, a 50-year-old corporate security executive and Marine Corps veteran who's been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia for alleged espionage — and said his administration would work to secure the American's release from Russia.
Biden also pledged to keep the Whelan family updated on this process.
The president's phone call with Elizabeth Whelan occurred after Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Cherelle Griner, the wife of Brittney Griner.
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