"It's hard to imagine ... If this was, you know, LeBron James" - Becky Hammon urges Vladimir Putin to release Brittney Griner, questions if same treatment would've been meted out to LeBron James
Becky Hammon has wondered whether LeBron James would have received the same treatment as Brittney Griner if he had been arrested in Russia. Hammon, who holds Russian citizenship, has urged Vladimir Putin to release the Phoenix Mercury star.
In an interview with Simon Lewis of Reuters, Hammon wondered if the treatment would have been different if it was a male athlete like James. The former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach thinks it won't be difficult to comprehend the situation.
"It's hard to imagine, though, that if this was, you know, LeBron James, that he'd still be sitting over there in jail," said Hammon. "It's hard not to let your mind go there."
A top coach for U.S. women's pro basketball, Becky Hammon, who once represented Russia at the Olympics, has made a plea for Russian President Vladimir Putin to 'do the right thing' and quickly release American star player Brittney Griner reut.rs/3oPOBVt https://t.co/aODHbBmVnT
Hammon also pleaded with the Russian government to free Griner, who has been detained since February. The WNBA star is facing a maximum prison sentence of ten years due to drug charges. She was arrested at an airport in Moscow for carrying vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia.
"It's something that obviously hits super close to home for me," Hammon said. "And so I just ask the Russian government to do the right thing. It's never too late to do the right thing. We're asking for leniency. We're asking for grace. And we're asking to bring home BG."
The current Las Vegas Aces coach was not the first to bring "The King" into the fold while discussing about Griner. Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard also wondered if the United States government would do more if the LA Lakers superstar was detained.
"If it was Lebron, he'd be home, right? Nygaard said in a postgame news conference. "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."
Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard says Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia would be resolved "if it was LeBron." https://t.co/ANZvCRyG5E
LeBron James has called for Brittney Griner's immediate release
LeBron James was one of many players from the NBA and WNBA to release a statement regarding Brittney Griner. James called out the United States government to do their best to make sure Griner gets back home as soon as possible.
The four-time champion also shared a link from Change.org, an ongoing petition calling for the release of Griner. There are almost 350,000 signatures in the petition currently.
🏾 Our voice as athletes is stronger together. @uninterrupted 
#WeAreBG
We need to come together and help do whatever we possibly can to bring BG home quickly and safely!! 🙏🏾 Our voice as athletes is stronger together. @uninterrupted 👑 #WeAreBG https://t.co/2GWV3Ff81p
Griner's situation got James into hot water for questioning the US government. On "The Shop," the Lakers superstar wondered if Griner would even want to go home.
He asked if how she might feel about the government's efforts to bring her back.
"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?'"