Kareem Abdul-Jabbar strongly reprimanded former President of America, Donald Trump, for his controversial remarks on the detention of Brittney Griner in Russia. The legendary NBA center called out Trump for his insensitive comments on the fiasco and highlighted the harm it can bring to the victims. Incidentally, President Trump recently tried to justify the sentencing of Brittney Griner because of her carrying restricted drugs to a foreign country.
Earlier this year, Russian authorities detained Brittney Griner for carrying vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil in them. In the subsequent trial, the Phoenix Mercury star pleaded guilty, claiming that she had those substances for medical purposes only. However, the Russian courts still sentenced her to nine years in prison.
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Meanwhile, President Trump chimed in with his thoughts amid overwhelming support for Griner from American celebrities. In other words, President Trump called the 31-year-old basketball player ?a potentially spoiled person? who traveled overseas ?loaded up with drugs.?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls out Trump for his comments
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called out Donald Trump for his inflammatory comments on Brittney Griner’s exile in Russia. As it turns out, the Lakers legend doesn’t condone the former President siding with Russia over an American citizen.
“I?m not sure when siding with Russia against U.S. citizens given unfair trials and outrageous sentences became a thing,” he wrote in his blog.
Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar also called out Trump for failing to broker a deal to free former marine corps reserve Paul Whelan during his term as President. “Why don?t they have anything to say about Whelan (or why didn?t Trump get him released when he was president)?”
Whelan was arrested in December 2018 by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) for alleged espionage. Since then, he has been serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia.
The reason behind Trump’s Brittney Griner comments
Meanwhile, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also listed the reasons for Trump’s comments on Brittney Griner. According to the six-time NBA champion, Griner is African-American and also a member of the LGBTQ community.
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Therefore, she doesn’t fall under the typical demographic of Donald Trump’s Republican party. Hence, Trump felt emboldened to make such controversial remarks about her, Abdul-Jabbar suggested.
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What is your opinion of President Trump’s comments? Let us know in the comment section.
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