By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
Lakers star LeBron James is publicly criticizing the United States’ handling of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner’s case in a trailer for an upcoming episode of his television show: “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”
Griner was arrested in Moscow in February after the Russian Federal Customs Service allegedly discovered vape pen cartridges containing hashish oil in a bag that belonged to her. Last week, Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession and will appear in court again on Thursday.
“Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James said in a trailer for the latest episode of his talk show, “The Shop: Uninterrupted,” which airs on YouTube. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?’”
It is unclear when the episode, which will debut in its entirety on Friday, was filmed. In the trailer, it is mentioned that Griner had been in Russia for more than 110 days, which would have been nearly five weeks ago as she was detained on Feb. 17.
During the weeks since day 110, in addition to the trial beginning and the guilty plea, Griner’s wife Cherelle has had a phone conversation with President Joe Biden. Biden also received a letter from Brittney Griner on July 4 and sent a letter back to her which she was given in court last week.
There is also no mention of other detained Americans in the trailer.
In early June, shortly after the U.S. State Department classified Griner’s plight as a wrongful detention, James tweeted in support of Griner.
James’ Uninterrupted multimedia platform is also selling T-shirts with “We Are BG” printed on the front, with Uninterrupted’s online store stating that the proceeds from the merchandise will go to The BG Advocacy Fund, run by Griner’s family to cover legal costs associated with her release.
Klutch Sports Group, the agency that represents James, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Griner’s Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard referenced James while making a point about the country’s slow response to her player’s detainment.
“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard told reporters. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a Black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things. We know it, and so that’s what hurts a little more.”
At the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on Sunday, every player wore a jersey with Griner’s last name and No. 42 for the second half of the exhibition contest.
Washington hasn’t disclosed its strategy in the case and the U.S. might have little leverage with Moscow because of strong animosity over its actions in Ukraine. The State Department’s designation of Griner being wrongfully detained moves her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Washington will continue to work for the release of Griner, as well as other Americans held by Moscow, including former Marine Paul Whelan.
“We will not relent until Brittney, Paul Whelan, and all other wrongfully detained Americans are reunited with their loved ones,” he tweeted last week,
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson had been in contact with the National Security Council, but wouldn’t comment on “his travel or what he intends to do” amid reports that Richardson plans to travel to Russia and work on Griner’s release.