Dennis Rodman won't travel to Russia as US strongly discourages the trip / News - Basketnews.com

Dennis Rodman cancels his plans to go to Russia in an attempt to help detained WNBA star Brittney Griner after US State Department strongly discourages a 5-time NBA champion from making the trip.

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Former NBA star Dennis Rodman canceled his plans to go to Russia in an attempt to help detained WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Brittney Griner

Position:CAge:31Height:206 cmWeight:93 kgBirth place:Houston, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The U-turn decision comes after U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price strongly discouraged Rodman from going to Russia, saying that Rodman's trip could hinder the ongoing negotiations.

"He would not be traveling on behalf of the U.S. government," Price told ABC News. "We believe that anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder those release efforts."

On Saturday, Rodman publicly confirmed that he got permission to travel to Russia, and he's preparing for the trip.

"I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl," Rodmantold NBC Newson Saturday. "I'm trying to go this week."

However, after ABC News contacted a 5-time NBA champion, he said he doesn't currently have plans to travel to Russia.

On July 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he's open to a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss a possible prisoner swap involving American WNBA star Brittney Grinerand jailed American Paul Whelan.

Although the American official did not offer details on the proposed deal but revealed that the deal includes a convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who has been at the top of Russia's prisoner exchange wish list.

"I'm going 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," Blinken continued.

"We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release. Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal," added the Secretary of State.

"I'm going to use that conversation to follow up personally, and I hope to move us toward a resolution."

It wouldn't be the first time when Rodman was involved in informal diplomacy, as the NBA champion established a relationship with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

Rodman called Russian President Vladimir Putin "cool" after a 2014 trip to Moscow. In 2018, he showed up on the sidelines of former President Donald Trump's meeting with Kim in Singapore.

Finally, Rodman gave himself credit for helping to secure the release of American Kenneth Bae from North Korea.

Griner has been held in Moscow since February on charges of smuggling a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage when she was trying to enter Russia.

Griner arrived at the court in Khimki, in the Moscow region, for her eighth hearing on Thursday.

The player faced a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The prosecutor has only lowered the final verdict by a year.

The 31-year-old, 2.06-meter center held up from inside her cell a photo of her teammates from the UMMC Yekaterinburg, the Russian basketball team she played for during the WNBA offseason. Numerous foreign players who have played for Russian teams, among many others, including Marta Xargay and Anna Cruz, have campaigned in support of the American.

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