Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors Guard was honored at Sports Illustrated with the Sportsperson of the year award. with Brittney Giner making headlines in the news, Steph is no stranger to Griner as he is a keen supporter of her. The Phoenix Mercury star has finally been back in her home country after being detained and arrested in Russia on drug charges.
The 2x Most Valuable Player used his stardom at the SI’s award ceremony to raise awareness and encourage the US government to take every necessary action possible to bring American citizens back home as soon as possible. With Brittney Griner coming home there will be a celebration and Steph has pleaded with everyone to be cautious with the celebrations.
US officials: Russia frees WNBA player Brittney Griner in prisoner swap, with US releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. pic.twitter.com/JEsGaOfFiu
— ESPN (@espn) December 8, 2022
Curry also emphasized saving American citizens and staying in the fight for the people detained overseas saying, “But, it’s also a reminder that we all need to stay engaged in the fight to protect American citizens at home and abroad who are wrongfully detained, and we can continue to be engaged in that fight.”. Before Griner’s release, the 4x champion voiced his opinions and support on various occasions.
Brittney Griner had been in a Russian prison on drug charges and was detained for 10 months instead of the original sentence of 10 years, all thanks to Washington who struck a deal with the Russian government which panned out by the two parties making a trade, which saw the Olympian coming home and Viktor Bout also referred as ‘Merchant of Death’ going the other way.
What did Stephen Curry say about Brittney Griner?
WNBA and Phoenix Mercury Star Brittney Griner have been hitting the headlines since February after being charged with possession of drugs while entering Russia where she has been playing professionally. Griner was held in Russia and was awaiting trial and the US government pushed hard to prove that she was being wrongfully detained and took every measure possible to bring her home.
Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) opened his speech at the 2022 SI Sportsperson of the Year Awards by expressing his thoughts on Brittney Griner’s return home:
“We are glad she’s home, we’re glad she’s reunited with her family.” https://t.co/FtAly07gB4 pic.twitter.com/GpgbO785py
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 9, 2022
When Griner was jailed, Curry was one of the NBA stars to step up who made time to talk about the situation faced by Griner with Malika Andrews saying, “Now we’re over 110 days that she’s been wrongfully detained. It is an unfortunate situation. It’s a tragedy. She needs to be home, she needs to be safe, she needs to be with her family.”
At the Sports Illustrated ceremony, he further added with Griner back home, “We are glad she’s home, we’re glad she’s reunited with her family. It’s a constant reminder for everybody continuing to use their platforms to speak on issues that are meaningful and can move the needle. Thank you to President Biden’s administration for being a part of that fight.”