“Vietnam 1968–1969”: Brittney Griner Was Always Shook by Father’s Inspirational Life

Published 11/07/2022, 8:26 AM EST

Brittney Griner continues to dominate the news as she remains in Russian custody after all these months. This has put her WNBA career to a stop for the foreseeable future. Her life, however, has been plagued with hardships throughout her childhood.

Her parents, Raymond and Sandra Griner have always been there for her. Despite some of her decisions that they did not agree with, they have always supported their daughter and have been working to bring her back to her homeland. When it comes to sports, they recognized her athletic talents early and made sure to provide her with ample opportunities to blossom.

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Regardless of these countless hardships, Griner has shown signs of strength every step of the way. Much of that may be attributed to her upbringing by a veteran father. Her father is a former deputy sheriff and a Vietnam War veteran who served from 1968 to 1969. Following his service in Vietnam, he returned to the United States and worked at a Texas sheriff’s office. He served as a sheriff’s deputy for over three decades before retiring.

Griner has always drawn inspiration from her father and his services to the country. Furthermore, she once shared a snapshot of his father alongside his comrades from his Vietnam days.

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In the above picture, a young Raymond can be seen posing alongside his comrades. It’s evident from the picture that Griner got her athletic genes from her father. However, her father is just 6-foot-2, whereas Griner stands at 6-foot-9.

After some initial disagreement with Brittney Griner, Father Raymond accepted her reality

Brittney Griner has endured abuse and hostility for her sexual orientation. In fact, even her own father, initially, did not show her support when she first came out.

Haunting 4 Word Message From Brittney Griner Troubles Wife and Supporters

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While her mother always showered her daughter with support, her father once rejected her bluntly, stating that he won’t be “raising any lesbian“. Moreover, Raymond even prohibited his daughter from inviting her friends to their home.

However, with time, Griner’s father accepted her for who she is and they have been close ever since. He even acknowledged in an interview that he supports his daughter now and knows how she feels. “Brittney wants people to accept her for who she is, I get that now,” the war veteran said. Now, Raymond has been focusing his efforts to bring his daughter back home.

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WATCH THIS STORY: White House expresses stern disapproval of Dennis Rodman after he disclosed Brittney Griner rescue plans from Russia

What do you think the future hold for Brittney Griner? Do let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Ritvik is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Ritvik has finally got his foot in the door as a professional sports writer. He previously interned at another media house where he authored over 150 soccer articles, but he is now writing about his primary obsession, basketball.

Edited by:

Bagavathi Eswaran

“Vietnam 1968–1969”: Brittney Griner Was Always Shook by Father’s Inspirational Life

After some initial disagreement with Brittney Griner, Father Raymond accepted her reality

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