Tons of tweets and posts surfaced on social media from the moment WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison Thursday.
The U.S. reached a prisoner swap deal for Griner‘s return that sent international arms dealer Viktor Bout back to Russia. Several athletes and former players commented on Griner’s release to return to American soil. Among those were Charles Barkley, who shared that it was an outstanding moment for both the NBA and WNBA family. However, the NBA analyst and Hall of Famer remained concerned about the process of getting her home and about the 52-year-old former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who remains in Russian custody.
“It is just a great day for the NBA and a great day for the WNBA, Brittney and also her family,” Barkley told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “It is still a bittersweet day because Mr. Whelan is over there. And, also, we let a scumbag arms dealer who might go out and kill other people. … You have to feel for Mr. Whelan. He’s been there four years, Wolf, but we let a scumbag back out on the street.”
