Kyrie Irving on Brittney Griner: 'I'm Grateful She's Home'

Brooklyn Nets superstar guard Kyrie Irving commented on Brittney Griner's release from Russia after the win over the Washington Wizards.

Shortly after the news broke that WNBA star Brittney Griner had been released by Russia in a 1-on-1 prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, the Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving took to Twitter to express his excitement: "Welcome Home BG! Thank you for exemplifying what a true Warrior spirit looks like. You’re forever loved by so many unconditionally." 

After the Nets' win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night - the fourth straight win for Brooklyn and the eighth win in their last nine games - Irving delivered his thoughts on Griner coming home. 

"I'm grateful she's home," Irving said postgame. "I'm grateful she's with her family. Most importantly, humanity comes first. We all feel for her. We all feel for everyone that is wrongfully in prison or in some type of prison where they haven't gotten their justice. We feel for her, for sure. I'm just grateful that we can all share in the celebration with her being here and still more work to do in our world." 

The latest news of Griner finally coming home certainly resonates with Irving, who has had the WNBA star on his mind for months. Back during the Nets' home opener, Brooklyn's superstar guard addressed the crowd before tip-off. In his short speech to the fans in attendance, Irving told the fans that his team needs their support while they pursue their ultimate goal of a championship, and thanked them for being a part of this journey. Before he ended his message, the six-time NBA All-Star shared support for Brittney Griner, who was being held in Russia.

"You guys are a part of something special here," Irving said. "This is the start of it. We want make sure you guys understand that we cannot do this alone. We need you on every single night participating.

"But the big picture that's going on in the world, is free our sister Brittney Griner," Irving added. "Everybody do your job, please bring our sister home. We wouldn't be doing our jobs to the best of our abilities if we didn't stand on what we believe in."