Steph Curry Thanks Brittney Griner For Her 'Sacrifice' After Her Release From Russian Prison

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Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia on drug charges in February. After what was a show trial, she pleaded guilty to the drug charges in July and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Now that she's been released in exchange for 'The Merchant of Death,' some people have begun lauding her as some sort of hero and seem to have forgotten the part of the story where she was arrested for bringing illegal drugs into a foreign country

Steph Curry is one of those people.

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Speaking at the 2022 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year awards on Thursday night, Curry thanked Griner for her "sacrifice" and "perseverance" in the situation.

"Thank you to President Biden’s administration for being a part of that fight. But, it’s also a reminder that we all need to stay engaged in the fight to protect American citizens at home and abroad who are wrongfully detained, and we can continue to be engaged in that fight," Curry said.

"BG, we love you. We thank you for your sacrifice and your continued perseverance and patience to get through this process, and hope you enjoy reuniting with your family. We are always with you, BG.”

Russia trade Brittney Griner back to the United States after she was arrested in a Moscow airport in February.

Brittney Griner Didn't "Sacrifice" A Thing

That is certainly a choice of words from Curry.

While we can all agree that Griner's nine-year sentence was egregious and that an American coming home is positive news, we can also continue to live in reality and look at the situation for what it was.

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Griner didn't "sacrifice" anything. She was arrested for bringing illegal drugs into a foreign country, a foreign country that believes in severe punishment when it comes to banned substances.

Russia may have made an example out of Griner with her lengthy sentencing, but if you break a law in a foreign country you play by its rules no matter how over the top you think the punishment may be.

Let's not act like Griner accomplished anything at all here. She got arrested on drug charges and was bailed out by her home country trading her in exchange for one of the most dangerous men on the face of the planet. Full stop.

Curry isn't fooling anyone who possesses one ounce of common sense with his praise for Griner's "sacrifice."

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.