Really? The NBA’s “King LeBron” hasn’t seemed too enthusiastic about it the last few years. The initial remarks from LeBron James over Brittany Griner’s detention in Russia didn’t emerge from a vacuum, after all. James spent a good part of 2018 defending China and going after Houston Rockets coach Daryl Morey after Beijing suppressed Hong Kong. James has been an outspoken critic of America’s legal system, usually a badly informed outspoken critic, who nonetheless insists on speaking his mind. Which is, of course, his right.

Because LeBron doesn’t live in China. Or Russia.

So LeBron’s initial remarks on Griner’s detention in the latter came as no surprise:

LeBron James says Brittney Griner’s been in captivity for way too long without the U.S. bringing her home, so if he were the WNBA star, he’d question returning to America.

Bron made the comments during a recent taping of “The Shop” … when the conversation apparently turned to the incarcerated American hoops star.

“Now, how can she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?’”

John covered most of the aspects of LeBron’s folly in this statement, so be sure to read his post from yesterday. It’s simply false to think that America has forgotten Griner; the media provides a lot more coverage to Griner’s predicament than, say, the 14,000 Americans Joe Biden abandoned in Afghanistan eleven months ago. As John noted, the State Department has been working steadily on her case and that of other Americans in Russian detention, but Russia isn’t cooperating and they don’t answer to us. But also, Griner is getting all of this attention because she is a sports celebrity, and a cause celebre based on that influence. Ask Paul Whelan and his family about the Biden administration having his back, at least until recently.

After getting lots of blowback of the “live somewhere else if you don’t like it here, you ungrateful wretch” variety, LeBron suddenly discovered his inner sunshine patriot last night (via Matt Vespa):

My comments on “The Shop” regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country. I was simply saying how she’s probably feeling emotionally along with so many other emotions, thoughts, etc inside that cage she’s been in for over 100+ days! Long story short #BringHerHome

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 13, 2022

Long story short, James is an entitled fool. He may be one of the greatest NBA athletes of all time, but that only makes him a genius on the court. His defense of tyrants and attacks on liberty and free speech have already revealed James’ character, which is why his initial remarks were so unsurprising, and why this walkback is so difficult to believe.

Hopefully the Biden administration will get Griner back, even if it’s in a prisoner swap. Vladimir Putin is clearly using her for hostaging leverage, but unfortunately that’s what tyrants who have no regard for the rule of law do. Just as they do in China, which LeBron wants to defend because China stuffs cash into his pocket, and what a lot of other countries besides the US do as well. If LeBron wants to try living in one of those places, he’s got the money to do so — but I bet Griner will have a thing or two to teach James about the risks of traveling through such countries.

Update: I added the link to the reference about the 14,000 Americans Biden abandoned, after a reader complained that I made the number up. That number comes from reporting from Foreign Policy about State Department testimony to Congress, and we’ve linked it a number of times in the past.