LeBron James has said he did not mean to critique the United States or the country’s ongoing response to Russia’s detention of basketball star Brittney Griner, following the airing of comments in a trailer for his television show.
Speaking in a recently released trailer for The Shop: Uninterrupted, James said Griner “would be feeling like, ‘Do I even wanna go back to America?”’ He added in the clip: “Now, how can she feel like America has her back?”
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday night to defend and apologise for his comments, the National Basketball Association (NBA) star said he was trying to portray Griner’s emotions while being detained for more than 100 days in Russia.
The footage was thought to have been filmed in late May or early June, by which point Griner would have been held by Russian authorities for more than 100 days following her arrest while trying to leave the country in February.
“My comments on ‘The Shop’ regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country,” said James on Twitter. “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 US State Department said in early May that it considered the detention of Griner wrongful and that the US government would work to secure her release from a prison in Moscow, where she is currently on trial for allegations of drug handling.
Her wife Cherelle Griner and fellow Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) teammates have however called on the White House to do more to secure the star’s release.
In a letter to US President Joe Biden before entering a guilty plea last week, Griner wrote: “I realise you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees...Please do all you can to bring us home.”
Mr Biden afterwards spoke to Griner’s wife and told her he was working to have the basketball star released “as soon as possible”, the White House said. Her guilty plea is not thought to interfere with any US negotiations with Russia to allow for Griner’s release.
Russian authorities deny claims that the arrest and trial of the Phoenix Mercury and UMMC Ekaterinburg player was wrongful or illegal. Her trial is set to conclude by August.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters
