Smuggling 17 grams of THC into Russia Shaquille ONeal highlights how being an American spor
Shaquille O’Neal, a legendary centre and four-time NBA champion, recently shared a new message on his social media accounts in which he responded to the arrest of a fellow basketball star, Brittney Griner. She was recently given a nine-year prison term and a 1 million ruble fine for smuggling hash oil by the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region. A Russian judge gave Ms. Griner a nine-year term on Thursday. Because of Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, American authorities have claimed that she was “wrongfully detained” and that her prosecution was politically motivated.
The top diplomats of the United States and Russia declared on Friday that their governments were prepared to negotiate for the release of both Paul N. Whelan and Brittney Griner, an American basketball player who had been condemned to a Russian penal colony. While some believe she should be punished for breaching the law by serving her term, others are pleading with the government to assist her. Shaquille O’Neal, the former NBA champion, recently shared his opinions. O’Neal is not one to hold back when discussing topics related to basketball and beyond and he recently used Instagram to express his opinions about Griner.
All about Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia
Brittney Griner, a 6-foot-9 centre and eight-time WNBA all-star, is one of the top women’s basketball players in the world. In her nine seasons, she has twice led the league in both points per game and blocks per game. When Griner was a collegiate basketball player at Baylor University, she set a record by being the seventh woman in NCAA history to slam dunk in a game. This achievement made her renowned. Griner made history off the field in 2013 after being chosen with the first pick in the WNBA draft by being the first out gay athlete to accept an endorsement contract with Nike.
Russian authorities have been holding Brittney Griner since February 17, when they detained her at Sheremetyevo International Airport on the grounds that they believed she was in possession of marijuana oil-infused vape cartridges, which are illegal there. Griner, like many other female basketball players, plays overseas during the WNBA summer to boost her income and maintain her skills. The Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League team Griner was representing at the time of her arrest was UMMC Ekaterinburg. While adding that she had a prescription from her doctor and had packed hastily, Griner said she had no clue how the cannabis oil ended up in her suitcase.
Shaquille O’Neal’s take on Griner’s imprisonment
Shaquille O’Neal posted a story on Instagram comparing the circumstances of two Russian women who were found guilty of drug offences. Audrey Lober was freed from prison just over a month compared to Griner’s 9-year prison term. Shaq sent two images: one of Griner and the other of Lober, another American who was jailed in Russia in 2019 for carrying narcotics. The photo’s subtitles listed the sentences that US individuals have received for offences of a similar nature in Russia. At the airport at Pulkovo, Lober was stopped with 17 grams of dry narcotics. She was freed after being detained for almost two months along with a 15,000 ruble fine.
Shaq is just one of several NBA players, both present and former, who have commented on the Griner situation. Shaquille O’Neal might not have taken a stand on Brittney Griner on social media to the fullest extent, but other NBA players have undoubtedly done so. Many well-known NBA players, including Lebron James, Jayson Tatum, and Kyrie Irving, have spoken out on this topic.
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