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‘POTUS, do your job’: NBA star Kyrie Irving makes direct plea to President Biden to ‘liberate’ our sister Brittney Griner as he follows Steph Curry’s lead by calling for her release the night before the Nets start the season
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Kyrie Irving followed Steph Curry’s lead on Wednesday and made a direct plea to President Biden to pay WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is imprisoned in Russia.
Griner turned 32 on Tuesday behind bars, where she has been serving since February after being detained for entering Russia while in possession of cannabis oil. Griner said she accidentally packed the vape cartridges with the oil while she was in a hurry.
In August, she was sentenced to nine years in prison, a month after the US government said it had made a major proposal – believed to be a prisoner swap – to bring Griner and Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, back to the US.
But Griner is still in prison, and with the NBA starting this week, stars have stepped up to keep a close eye on efforts to seal her release.
Kyrie Irving made a direct plea to President Biden to release Brittney Griner from prison in Russia
Griner turned 32 on Tuesday behind bars, where she has been serving since February after being arrested for having cannabis oil in vape cartridges
Addressing President Biden, Irving said “POTUS, do your job” before the Brooklyn Nets kicked off the NBA season on Wednesday night
Speaking to the crowd at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets star Irving said, “The big picture that’s going on in the world is the liberation of our sister Brittney Griner.
‘Please. Please. POTUS do your job. Everyone do your job. Please take our sister home.
“We couldn’t do our job to the best of our ability if we didn’t stand for what we believe in.”
It follows Curry taking the mic on Tuesday before the Golden State Warriors kicked off their regular season with a win over the Lakers.
“We are using our platform and opportunity to shout out a very special member of the basketball community. Today is Brittney Griner’s birthday, she is 32 years old,” he told the court.
“We want to continue to make her name known and it has been 243 days since she was wrongfully imprisoned in Russia. We hope she comes home soon and that everyone does their best to get her home.”
In September, President Biden met with Griner’s wife Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure her freedom.
Griner released a statement Tuesday through her attorneys who were able to visit her, according to CNN.
Steph Curry called for support for Griner in his ring night speech on Tuesday
WNBA star Griner turned 32 on Tuesday and she said she was grateful for all the love and support. She holds photos in a defendant’s cage before a hearing at the Khimki court, outside Moscow on July 27
“Thank you all for fighting so hard to get me home. All the support and love certainly help me,” Griner said in her message.
The statement was released through her lawyers, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, partners with Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners.
On the basketball player’s birthday, the league said they will continue to think and fight for her until she is back on American soil.
Happy Birthday Brittney Griner, we won’t forget you and we won’t stop fighting for you. The W won’t be the same until you get home #WeAreBG,” the WNBA wrote on Tuesday afternoon.