LeBron James Critical of U.S.’s Response to Brittney Griner Situation

WNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia after nearly five months in custody. In the latest trailer for HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted, LeBron James spoke his mind on the situation and criticized America’s efforts to bring her home.

“Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James asked. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even wanna go back to America?’”

James’s full response and quotes were edited in the trailer, and the full episode won’t be out until July 15. But his comments are scathing, to say the least. 

Griner was arrested in February for possessing vape cartridges containing hashish oil at a Russian airport. She pleaded guilty to the charges Thursday, a development that came four days after her detention was extended to December by Russian authorities. Griner could face up to 10 years in prison.

President Joe Biden and his administration have been widely criticized for not getting Griner back to the United States from what the State Department has deemed wrongful detainment. Just this past week, on July 5, Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard suggested Griner would be stateside if she were James. 

“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard said. “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. All of those things. We know it, and so that’s what hurts a little more.”

As of now, it’s unclear when Griner will be able to return home. 

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