WNBA star Brittney Griner, detained in Russia since February, sent a letter to the U.S. president asking him to do everything possible to bring her back to America. Griner, jailed on drug-dealing charges, pleaded for her freedom and said she is terrified she will not be able to leave Russia. “…as I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever”
Tag: Politics
“On the 4th of July, our family …
“On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran,’ she continued. ‘It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year” ‘I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees,’ Griner wrote. ‘Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.’
Michigan Democrats on Tuesday rolled …
Michigan Democrats on Tuesday rolled out an ad voiced by NBA star Isiah Thomas as part of the state’s effort to pitch itself as deserving of the first-in-the-nation Democratic presidential primary. “Michigan is America and the best place to pick a president,” the former Detroit Pistons star says in the two minute long video.
Ishmail Wainwright: Y’all know I don’t …
Ishmail Wainwright: Y’all know I don’t speak about politics and all that but this one right here hurts deeply. How are y’all going to do that to women ? That is sickening. I’m sorry ladies. I really am. 
NBA, Celtics Twitter react to US Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade
The news reverberated throughout the US and beyond, and the wider NBA network was no exception.
With the draft over and the start of the 2022 offseason’s free agency period still several days away, one might expect to find calm among fans and analysts of the Boston Celtics and wider NBA.
But even as players slip off on vacation ahead of Las Vegas Summer League, a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States on access to abortion reverberated throughout the league’s followers on social media. Players, fans, and NBA content producers voiced their feelings about the ruling, which has already triggered significant changes to abortion access around the United States.
Let’s take a look at what was being said.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr …
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he got a text from former President Barack Obama on the team’s NBA championship win — unlike his star point guard, Steph Curry, who apparently got a phone call. The legendary Warriors coach shared the congratulatory message from the former president during an interview before the parade in San Francisco Monday afternoon.
Obama wasn’t the only one reaching out …
Obama wasn’t the only one reaching out to the Warriors coach — Kerr said he also heard from old friends and coaches, including longtime NBA coach Gregg Popovich.
Enes Kanter Freedom: ‘The NBA is a 100 percent American-made organization that the Chinese dictatorship runs’
Enes Kanter Freedom: The NBA, in my opinion, is the most hypocritical organization out there. So we need to keep pushing the NBA to stand up for what is right. The NBA is a 100 percent American-made organization that the Chinese dictatorship runs. …
Enes Kanter Freedom: The NBA, in my opinion, is the most hypocritical organization out there. So we need to keep pushing the NBA to stand up for what is right. The NBA is a 100 percent American-made organization that the Chinese dictatorship runs. That is unacceptable. Someone, whether it’s the Senate or other politicians, needs to say “enough is enough.” And it’s not just the NBA. Chinese-controlled US institutions also include Hollywood and academia. Someone has to stop this.
Source: OutKick
More on this storyline
Burack: You are not on an NBA team right now. Is that because you speak out about human rights violations in China and Turkey? Enes Kanter Freedom: Let me give you a very easy stat, it is not rocket science: last year, I played for the Portland Trail Blazers and averaged a double-double. We made the playoffs. And they are telling me that six months later, I forgot how to play basketball? Even the kids on the streets will laugh at that notion. I believe I could start in many cases right now, but because the things I say are hurting the NBA financially, they wanted me out of the league. It’s that simple. I just turned 30, and they are pushing me to retire. I can play another six or seven years easily. But unfortunately, with a league like this and with the players in it like this, it looks like it’s not possible. -via OutKick / June 17, 2022
Burack: If you had known that speaking out would have cost you your NBA career, would you have still done it? Enes Kanter Freedom: I would do this every time. No question. Why? While they are playing basketball right now, there is a genocide happening on the other side of the ocean. There are three to four million people in concentration camps who are tortured every day. And Uyghurs are not the only ones — you see what’s happening in places like Hong Kong, Tibet, Taiwan and Mongolians. So this is bigger than my next paycheck. Of course I would do it all over again. -via OutKick / June 17, 2022
While the Celtics and Warriors battle on the court in a tightly contested NBA Finals, the governors of California and Massachusetts have joined in on the action. In a tweet Wednesday, about a half hour before the tipoff of game three, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker promised California Gov. Gavin Newsom that the Celtics would claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year. -via Boston Globe / June 9, 2022
Enes Kanter Freedom: ‘The NBA is a 100 percent American-made organization that the Chinese dictatorship runs’
Enes Kanter Freedom: The NBA, in my opinion, is the most hypocritical organization out there. So we need to keep pushing the NBA to stand up for what is right. The NBA is a 100 percent American-made organization that the Chinese dictatorship runs. That is unacceptable. Someone, whether it’s the Senate or other politicians, needs to say “enough is enough.” And it’s not just the NBA. Chinese-controlled US institutions also include Hollywood and academia. Someone has to stop this.
Burack: You are not on an NBA team …
Burack: You are not on an NBA team right now. Is that because you speak out about human rights violations in China and Turkey? Enes Kanter Freedom: Let me give you a very easy stat, it is not rocket science: last year, I played for the Portland Trail Blazers and averaged a double-double. We made the playoffs. And they are telling me that six months later, I forgot how to play basketball? Even the kids on the streets will laugh at that notion. I believe I could start in many cases right now, but because the things I say are hurting the NBA financially, they wanted me out of the league. It’s that simple. I just turned 30, and they are pushing me to retire. I can play another six or seven years easily. But unfortunately, with a league like this and with the players in it like this, it looks like it’s not possible.