“What is truly happening with our queen?”, “God be with her please”, “Bring our sister and friend home” - Kyrie Irving and other NBA players react as Brittney Griner is sentenced to 9 years in prison
Due to unfortunate circumstances, Brittney Griner has been one of the biggest names in sports in recent months. In February, the WNBA star was detained in Russia for having illegal drugs in her possession. On Thursday, Griner was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison in a Russian penal colony.
From the start, the basketball community has done all it could to shine a light on the horrible situation in which Griner finds herself. After news of the verdict surfaced, countless players rushed to social media to show their support for her.
Smh 9 Years…. Free BG 🤞🏾
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🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 twitter.com/espn/status/15…
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has always been known to voice his opinion on pressing matters of this magnitude. He called for President of the United States Joe Biden to provide more information on Griner and her current situation.
"What is going on with our Queen? Please give us an Update."
Seeing BG behind these bars is breaking my heart. Praying hard for her today
NBA and U.S. President Joe Biden respond to Brittney Griner facing nine years in Russian prison
As NBA players reacted to the news of Griner facing jail time, the NBA and WNBA released a joint statement regarding the matter:
"Today's verdict and sentencing is unjustified and unfortunate, but not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongfully detained. The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not wavered, and it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States."
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Along with both professional basketball leagues, President Joe Biden also weighed in. He alsoo feels the situation is unacceptable and called upon Russia to release her so she can return home to her loved ones.
President Joe Biden called Brittney Griner's sentence in the Russian drug trial "unacceptable" and calls on Russia to release her "immediately." https://t.co/Fm5ap14m4G
As this saga moves forward, Biden remains steadfast in his pursuit of working out a way to get Griner back to the United States safely. One possible outcome that has been discussed is a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia to have Griner released.
For Griner's friends and loved ones, this is a tragic time. It's been roughly seven months since she was arrested at a Russian airport, and there is no telling when the saga might end.
Right now, NBA players are doing the best they can by using their platforms to shine a light on the case. Perhaps the best thing for Griner is getting as many eyes on her situation as possible.