Editorial: Don’t forget about Brittney Griner
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I would not say that Brittney Griner is “the greatest basketball player in the world,” but considering she played for an eight-day span while on a drug suspension, and did so while on a national holiday and in a moment of complete vulnerability, she is certainly among the greatest players ever to play the game.
The fact that she has received a lot of flack from “experts” in the media for her actions and attitude, even from people who know nothing of basketball, only confirms that I am right.
This story is not about Griner. It is about the fact that the national media – for which she is an example – has now caught on to how the game is played and how the rules have to be changed in order for it to be fair.
This is where the story gets interesting.
It is true that Griner, by all accounts, had every intention of continuing her career after the suspension was over and she could move on with her life. She said, “I want to be the best.”
Griner certainly is not alone in trying to achieve this goal. Her family, friends and teammates and coaches have reached a similar conclusion. They, too, decided she was going to return to the court – not just because it was a good thing to do, but because it was the right thing to do.
Of course, Griner did not have the choice of continuing with her life. The drug she was on while in college was banned by the NCAA as soon as she graduated (not even one time, mind you). It would have been a difficult decision for Griner to return to the game. But like most people, her decision had to be made. She didn’t have a choice but to return.
The media’s argument is that she was “forced” to return to the game, in terms of her suspension, and now she will never be able to return. If that is the case, then
