MOSCOW, Aug 24 Five-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Dennis Rodman He changed his mind about going to Russia in order to secure the release of American basketball player Brittney Griner convicted of drug smuggling, reports Yahoo News. On Saturday, Rodman told the media about his intention to go to Russia. He said that he received the appropriate permission. On Monday, the US government warned the ex-basketball player not to interfere in Greiner's case. The head of the press service of the US State Department, Ned Price, said that Rodman would not be an official representative of the state if he went to Russia. According to a source, Rodman's decision was influenced by the fact that he would not represent the US government during a trip to Russia. Previously, Rodman visited Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin, whom he later called «a cool guy», noting that he did not mean politics. In February, Greiner, who arrived on a flight from New York, was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport. During the inspection, the Americans found «vapes» with a liquid with a specific smell in their hand luggage — the examination later determined that it was hash oil. In early August, the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region sentenced Greiner to nine years in prison with a fine of one million rubles. The court found her guilty of smuggling and possession of hash oil. Greiner is one of the most titled basketball players in the world. She was a two-time Olympian and two-time world champion with Team USA and the 2014 WNBA Champion with Phoenix. The center is included in the official list of the 25 best players in the women's NBA. He has been playing for the Yekaterinburg UMMC since 2015.
