Brittney Griner has been through quite a lot over the past couple of years after she was arrested and held in Russian custody for nearly a year back in 2022 when Russian authorities found a small amount of prescription cannabis oil in her luggage. She has since been freed and returned home to the United States, and the whole ordeal seems to have given her a new appreciation for America.
In the past, Brittney Griner has been criticized for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of Black inequality. But after helping lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics this weekend, she had a very different response to the national anthem that has since gone viral.
As Griner stood with the gold medal around her neck and listened to the national anthem play, she was clearly overcome with emotion and could not hold back her tears.
“My emotions are all over the place,” Griner said according to ESPN. “It means so much to me. My family didn’t think I would be here, like I’ve said before, and then to be here and win and gold for my country, representing when my country fought for me so hard to even be standing here. Yeah, this gold medal is going to hold a special place.”
The scene quickly went viral on social media.
Good for Brittney. https://t.co/ahpn7HfCbb
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) August 12, 2024
I wish it didn’t take spending time in a Russian prison for her to realize how fortunate we all are to live in America, but I’m glad she realizes it now. https://t.co/3Smr2QnDtz
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 11, 2024
it’s almost as if there are simultaneously good things and bad things about the United States https://t.co/idvZjmnUds
— Dar-Wei Chen, Ph.D. (@chendw) August 11, 2024
Hand over her heart to boot. Not gonna get into a discussion about her in general or if this represents a “true” change of heart, but this definitely wasn’t on my Olympic bingo card & I was glad to see it. https://t.co/zFkphqWLRt
— J.R. Holmsted (@JHolmsted) August 12, 2024
Amazing what sitting in a Russian jail will do to you. Hard lesson to learn, but glad she now loves the freedom that USA has. https://t.co/wZKTh0Kcy4
— FL410_over_ICN (@InfantryPilot) August 11, 2024
Regardless of your feelings on Brittney, this was sweet & moving. https://t.co/gkZ1F8f681
— KD (@kds5140) August 11, 2024
Clearly, she has had some sort of a change of heart.
[ESPN]
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