The Irony Of LeBron Wondering If Jailed Brittney Griner Would “Even Want To Go Back To America.”

Brittney Griner is a WNBA star who is currently sitting in a Russian jail after being accused of smuggling drugs into the country through her luggage, where Russian authorities say they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Griner pled guilty to drug charges and could face up to 10 years in a Russian penal colony for her crime. She is awaiting her next court date, which is tomorrow, July 14th. Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, recently received a phone call from the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to “reassure her that he’s working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible.” As her situation as been a hot topic here in the U.S., NBA star LeBron James weighed in on her situation, implying that America hasn’t done enough to try to get Griner home. He said,

“Now, how can she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?'”

Oh, the irony of LeBron James, one of the richest, most famous, most socially influential black men in this country, saying that Brittney Griner– whose sexuality and marriage would be forbidden in so many other countries– should question whether she even wants to return to the United States since they’re not working hard enough to free her from a foreign jail after she broke the law. LeBron James and Brittney Griner are both able to be who they are and have the lives they enjoy because of the incredible freedoms and opportunities available to everyone in this great nation. But Brittney broke the law, which may be ignored in this country during this movement of “progressive criminal justice reform,” but it is not ignored in Russia. Especially not as tensions between America and Russia are strained. She is suffering the consequences of her own actions and that doesn’t make America less great.

After significant public backlash for his seemingly anti-American comment, LeBron took to Twitter to attempt to clarify his feelings.