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Adam Silver Says NBA Is Working Side By Side With WNBA To Get Brittney Griner Released From Russia
After the Russian customs officials found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in basketball star Brittney Griner’s luggage this past February, she was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.
Unfortunately for her Griner, her detention comes at the most dangerous moment in U.S.-Russia relations since the end of the Cold War, with the U.S. being a leading force in the NATO that is currently supporting Ukraine.
This has led to Griner becoming a valuable asset for the Russians, who are trying to exchange her for arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the U.S., in a prisoner swap.
While the U.S. government is trying to bring Griner back, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has now revealed that he is working side by side with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to help the cause.
“We’ve been in touch with the White House, the State Department, hostage negotiators, every level of government and also through the private sector as well,” Silver said during a televised interview at Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery. “Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia.”
