One of the major topics of conversation in recent months has been the continued detention of Brittney Griner in Russia. The WNBA star was detained after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were reportedly found in her bag on her way back to the United States. Griner has been in Russian custody since.
Several NBA stars have spoken out about the need to bring her home, while her wife and family have continued the campaign to make it happen. Kyrie Irving has been vocal about it, Stephen Curry made a statement too, and LeBron James has spoken multiple times about something needing to be done about the situation.
LeBron has now made another statement, and a powerful one at that, addressing Griner’s situation on The Shop. A trailer for the coming episode showed James wondering how Brittney may be feeling as she continues to be unable to return home to the United States of America.
(starts at 00:15 minutes):
“Over 110 days, now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James asked. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?’”
This is an intense indictment of the government’s failure to find a way to bring Griner and other prisoners back home to the United States. It’s likely to not be a very popular take among several people, but LeBron has never been afraid to speak his mind even if it may ruffle some feathers.
At the end of the day, the important thing is that this pressure forces the relevant authorities to act and get Griner back to her family and her wife. The situation is difficult but as long as efforts continue, hopefully, a resolution can be reached soon. The charges against Griner carry a 10-year sentence in Russia, but it would be surprising if she were made to serve that.
