Inside The Nets

Kyrie Irving Shares Support For Brittney Griner

Kyrie Irving spoke before the Brooklyn Nets hosted the New Orleans Pelicans

Joey Linn

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The Brooklyn Nets have officially begun a new season, tipping things off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday evening. Star point guard Kyrie Irving addressed the crowd before the game, and shared a message of excitement, but also one that is bigger than basketball.

"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."

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, Irving shared support for Brittney Griner, who is still being held in Russia.

"But the big picture that's going on in the world, is free our sister Brittney Griner," Irving said. "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."

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry shared a similar message from center court before his team's first game, calling for Griner to be freed from Russian prison. The NBA has been vocal on this issue, and they hope their voice can make an impact. For Irving, he made sure to finish his pre-game message with that important point.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn32@sbcglobal.net Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis, insight, and reporting Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Receiving a media credential during the 2021-22 season, Joey has experience interviewing NBA players, and developing exclusive stories from these interviews. Having appeared on several different NBA podcasts over the last four seasons, Joey is now hosting his own podcast for The Sporting Tribune. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Now graduated, Joey is covering the NBA full-time across multiple platforms. Credentialed by the Clippers, Joey covers the team daily with articles, podcasts, and video breakdowns on YouTube. With four years of sports media experience, Joey provides expert insight and analysis for NBA fans across the league.

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