Lakers star LeBron James said he “wasn’t knocking our beautiful country” when he questioned in a trailer for HBO’s “The Shop: Uninterrupted” whether WNBA center Brittney Griner would want to return to the United States after being detained in Russia since February.
“My comments on ‘The Shop’ regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country,” James tweeted Monday night. “I was simply saying how she’s probably feeling emotionally along with so many other emotions, thoughts, etc inside that cage she’s been in for over 100+ days! Long story short #BringHerHome.”
The exact context of James’ quotes is not known from the trailer, but the four-time MVP can be heard saying “Now, how can she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?'”
The full episode will be released on July 15.
Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, was taken into custody at an airport in Russia. Authorities found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage, charges for which Griner plead guilty to on July 7.
“I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” she told the court.
On July 4, Griner sent a letter to the White House asking for President Joe Biden’s assistance in securing her release and two days later the president spoke on the phone with Griner’s wife, Cherelle.
“The President called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible,” a White House statement said regarding that call, “as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world. He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner today.”
