Here is an article without titles, based on the information “Lin Dunn Calls for Brittney Griner to Be Expelled from U.S. Olympic Team – ‘You Disrespect The American Anthem, You Don’t Deserve to Represent this country'”, written in an attractive, neutral style and reflecting the actual context of Calculated on February 22
The American basketball community is stirring after Lin Dunn, the famous director of Indiana Fever, made a controversial statement calling for Brittney Griner from the US Olympic team. This statement was made in early August 2024, right in the middle of the time when the Paris Olympics were taking place, and quickly became the focus of fierce debate throughout the media platforms. Dunn, a veteran character in the female basketball village with decades of dedication, does not hesitate to express his tough view, making both fans and experts pay attention.
According to Dunn, the main reason she wanted Griner to be eliminated around the star of Phoenix Mercury who had opposed the US national anthem in the past. “When you do not respect the US national anthem, you do not deserve to represent this country,” Dunn emphasized in an interview, a fierce tone. She argued that the athletes were chosen to play for the national team to show their pride and respect for national symbols, especially when playing on global stage like Olympic. This view seemed to stemming from Griner’s kneeling while the National Anthem was broadcast before WNBA matches by 2020, an act of protesting social injustice that she and many other athletes performed after the George Floyd incident.
However, the story is not as simple as Dunn said. Brittney Griner, who has just won the third gold medal with the US team in Paris 2024, had a turbulent journey before. In 2022, she was detained for nearly 10 months in Russia for allegations of possessing marijuana, and was released only after a dramatic prisoner exchange. This experience seems to have changed Griner’s perspective to the national anthem. During the medal ceremony in Paris, the camera recorded the scene where she shed tears when the national anthem rang, a moment that many people believed that she had found a deeper meaning with representing the United States. Griner himself once shared that she no longer opposed the national anthem as before, because the time in prison made her appreciate the values she had overlooked.
However, Dunn’s call still received support from a small part. Many fans on social networks love that Olympic athletes should put national pride first, especially in the international context. A comment on X wrote: “Dunn is right – If you don’t respect the national anthem, don’t expect to wear a American team.” But there are also many objections, saying that Griner’s actions in the past were freedom of speech, and punishing her because it was unfair. “Griner has devoted and brought gold to the US, but still criticized?” Another fan countered.
USA Basketball (USA Basketball) has not made an official comment on Dunn’s statement. However, the reality is that Griner has made an important contribution to the team’s victory in Paris, with impressive performance alongside teammates like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. This makes many people ask whether Dunn’s call really affects the position of Griner in the future, or just a lost voice in the wave of controversy.
This drama not only revolves around the two characters but also reaches a bigger problem: the boundary between personal freedom and collective responsibility in sports. When the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are getting close, the story of Griner and Dunn will certainly be repeated, as a reminder that in the sports world, nothing is simple – from the floor to the values that athletes represent the representative. Is this an ending for this back -to -back battle, or is it just the beginning of a new dramatic new chapter? Only time can answer.
