Griner faces up to nine years in prison after being found guilty of smuggling drugs into the country. She hadhashish oil in her vape cartridges when detained at the airport and has been held captive ever since.

Rodman reportedly has a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the USA government was never on board with the controversial celebrity’s plans of getting involved.

Dennis Rodman Won’t Travel To Russia

(via ABC News)

“The U.S. government on Monday strongly discouraged former NBA player Dennis Rodman from traveling to Russia to help secure the release of detained WNBA star Brittney Griner — a trip that Rodman himself separately clarified isn’t in the works, reversing an earlier comment.

A State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, told ABC News during a press briefing on Monday that if Rodman did travel to Russia, ‘He would not be traveling on behalf of the U.S. government.’

Amid the scrutiny over his comments, Rodman told ABC News on Monday that he doesn’t currently have plans to travel to Russia.”

The White House Disapproved His Plan All Along

Anonymous White House officers had already expressed their concerns and doubts about Rodman’s potential trip to Russia. They also doubled down on their travel advisory warning to all American citizens:

(Via Reuters)

“The White House has a dim view of former American pro basketball player Dennis Rodman’s reported plan to travel to Russia and gain the release of American basketball star Brittney Griner, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

A senior administration official, who asked to remain anonymous, made clear the White House does not approve.

‘It is public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts,’ the official said.

The official also noted the State Department has issued a travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to Russia.”

Unfortunately, it seems like Griner won’t haveThe Wormby her side on this one. Hopefully, the White House will find the way to bring her back home safe and sound. It’s been way too long already.

Griner reportedly hadhashish oil in her vape cartridges, which is a prohibited substance on Russian soil. She eventually pled guilty to those charges and now faces up to nine years in prison.

The American sports community and POTUS Joe Biden have expressed their concerns and solidarity about the situationbut to no avail. That’s why Dennis Rodman decided to take matters into his own hands and intervene.

Dennis Rodman Vows To Help Brittney Griner; White House Isn’t So Sure

Rodman reportedly has a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was in Russia back in 2014, and they’ve kept in touch ever since, so he believes he can help smoothen the situation:

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News. “I’m trying to go this week.”

However, Reuters reports that multiple White House officers aren’t so sure about Rodman’s plans. While he most definitely means well, we’re talking about a complicated matter that could take multiple turns if not handled carefully:

“The White House has a dim view of former American pro basketball player Dennis Rodman’s reported plan to travel to Russia and gain the release of American basketball star Brittney Griner, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday,” read the report.

“A senior administration official, who asked to remain anonymous, made clear the White House does not approve,” the report continued.

“‘It is public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts,’ the official said.”

“The official also noted the State Department has issued a travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to Russia,” the report concluded.

We know Dennis Rodman isn’t like most people. I mean, he’s even friends with Kim Jong-un, and he may not be the shadiest guy in his black book. Hopefully, he knows what he’s doing, and Griner will finally be back home.

It’s been five months since Griner was detained by Russian authorities. She recently had to plead guilty, just four days after her sentencewas extended to December, and she faces up to 10 years in prison.

That’s why multiple athletes have been extremely critics of the American government’s stance on this matter. That includes LeBron James, whose comments on the latest trailer of HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrumptedcaused plenty of turmoil around social media.

LeBron James Clears The Air On His Controversial Comments

“Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James said. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even wanna go back to America?'”

It’s not a secret that half of Americans aren’t a fan of LeBron James, given his anti-Donald Trump stance. So, the four-time NBA champion had to clear the air on social media and state that his comments weren’t un-American by any means:

“My comments on ‘The Shop’ regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country. I was simply saying how she’s probably feeling emotionally along with so many other emotions, thoughts, etc inside that cage she’s been in for over 100+ days! Long story short #BringHerHome,” James tweeted.

Phoenix Mercury Coach Says Brittney Would Be Back Home If She Were LeBron

This isn’t the first time that James has been tied to Griner’s situation. Not so long ago, Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard claimed that Griner would be home already if she were LeBron James:

“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard said. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things. We know it, and so that’s what hurts a little more.”

Griner’s situation is worrisome and unacceptable. It’s been way too long already. Hopefully, she’ll be back home sooner than later.