During the Golden State Warriors’ championship ring ceremony on Opening Night, Stephen Curry took a time to recognize Brittney Griner, wishing her a happy 32nd birthday and supporting efforts to bring her home.
“We want to continue to use our platform and the opportunity to shoutout a very special member of the basketball community — Brittney Griner’s birthday is today,” Curry said before the Warriors hung their fourth banner in eight years.
“She’s 32 years old. We want to continue to let her name be known. And, we pray that … it’s been 243 days since she’s been wrongfully incarcerated in Russia. We hope that she comes home soon and everybody’s doing their part to get her home.”
Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February, sent a brief letter thanking her supporters on what should have been a happy day, writing, “Thank you everyone for fighting so hard to get me home.”
“All the support and love are definitely helping me.”
The Warriors’ rings (created by Jason of Beverly Hills) are spectacular, with 16 carats of yellow and white diamonds set in yellow gold to signify their 16 playoff triumphs.
It is the first championship ring fashioned entirely of yellow diamonds, in celebration of the team’s “golden age.”
They also include a special secret chamber… which shows the amount of awards each player has earned individually during their career.
There are seven carats of yellow cushion cut diamonds on the bezel to represent the franchise’s total championships… and 43 baguettes in the bridge of the emblem on top to represent Curry’s 43-point performance in the Finals.
In terms of the game, the Warriors handily defeated the Los Angeles Lakers… and Jordan Poole had an excellent pass to Draymond Green in the second quarter, demonstrating that the players are totally capable of getting over their chaotic practice incident and focusing on winning.