The detention of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner in Russia remains top of mind for some of her counterparts in the NBA.
Several NBA players used the occasion of opening night to offer support for Griner and call for her speedy release from Russian custody, after she pled guilty to trumped-up smuggling charges after she was found to have brought cannabis vape cartridges into the country for personal use.
On Tuesday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry paused during the pregame presentation of championship rings and the raising of yet another title banner to mark Griner's 32nd birthday and urge US officials to "do their part to get her home."
On Wednesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Nets star Kyrie Irving took it even a step further, directly addressing President Biden.
"The big picture that's going on in the world, is free our sister Brittney Griner, please. Please, POTUS, do your job. Everybody do your job. Please bring our sister home. And we wouldn't do our job to the best of our ability if we didn't stand on what we believe in ..."
Meanwhile in Miami on Wednesday night, Heat veteran Udonis Haslem, one of the league's elder statesmen, struck a similar chord.
"I want to start out by saying that it's been 244 days since Brittney Griner's been incarcerated," Haslem said. "She just recently had a birthday yesterday, so I just want her to know from my Miami Heat family, and the NBA family, that we're still thinking about you, and you're in our hearts and our minds."
The series of remarks come shortly before Griner was set to have an appeal hearing regarding her case on Oct. 25.
US officials have reportedly been working with their Russian counterparts regarding Griner's potential release, including talks centered around prison swap involving a Russian arms dealer in US custody. An American former Marine in Russian custody was also said to be a topic of discussion.
Griner was detained on February 17. She had been playing in a Russian professional league during the WNBA offseason for several years.
Griner's case has played out against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which is being supported by the US and other wester countries. She was detained only days before the incursion started.
Russian officials have bristled at the characterization of her detention as "wrongful," claiming that her charges and sentencing are in keeping with their established laws. The US' own drug laws have come under increasing criticism in recent years, with several presidents moving to pardon some of the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of non-violent drug offenders serving long sentences.
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