“I Still Think About Becoming a Police Officer”: Just Like Shaquille O’Neal, Brittney
Griner Always Had Plans to Follow Her Father’s Footsteps.

The WNBA champion and veteran forward of the Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner,
once revealed that she wanted to get into law enforcement. Her father instilled the
idea of joining the military and becoming a police officer in her. Similarly, another
basketball star that had the dream of becoming a police officer while growing up
was Shaquille O’Neal.

Brittney Griner had to face a lot of challenges growing up. Griner was a victim of
bullying in her school days. On several occasions, she has openly talked about the
mental demons she was fighting while growing up. Sports and the pursuit of
entering law enforcement were an escape for Griner, which empowered her and
helped her through those tough times.

Brittney Griner wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement
Brittney Griner’s father served in the military and after completing his term, he
became a law enforcement officer. Griner wanted to do something similar. She
never saw herself doing anything else. The WNBA star admitted that college wasn’t
part of her plans and she never found any solid reason to attend college before
sports.

She wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and enlist in the military at eighteen,
just like he did. Griner also dreamt of joining law enforcement after her term in the
military. “People might find this hard to believe, but I still think about becoming a
police officer someday when I am done playing hoops for a living,” Griner wrote in
her book ‘In my Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court.’ The 7x All-star
forward also admitted that she still dreams of becoming a police officer someday,
suggesting that she would be open to a career in law enforcement after her playing
days in the WNBA.

Griner had a rough childhood growing up and was a victim of bullying. Her physical
attributes and sexuality made her stand out in school, subjecting her to
judgemental and callous comments.

Griner admitted feeling lonely, out of place and alienated from her peers. But Sports and the dream of joining the military fueled her motivation and provided her with an escape from the harsh reality.
Shaquille O’Neal is known for many things.

The Hall of Famer and 4x NBA championhas dabbled in many  fields, including law enforcement. O’Neal became an honorary police officer in 2005 after training with the Los Angeles Police Academy for several
months.

The Big Diesel fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a Sheriff when he became a
Deputy Marshall officer a few years ago. The new role best suits O’Neal’s interests in serving the community and maintaining safety through law and order. WNBA star Brittney Griner spoke about a “huge win” on Thursday after her Team USA women’s Olympic team defeated Belgium in the group phase at the 2024 Paris Olympics, 87-74.

But she wasn’t talking about the victory over Belgium. Griner, who spent 10 months in a Russian prison in 2020 after Russian authorities said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage when she was traveling to play in a professional basketball league, was referring to the release of Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan as part of a prisoner swap with Russia, something she is all too familiar with after returning to the United States in a prisoner swap herself.

More:How Brittney Griner’s national anthem stance evolved between Russia, 2024
Paris Olympics How Brittney Griner reacted to release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, others
Griner was emotional about the news that Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, were coming home as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia.

“Great day,” Griner told reporters after Team USA’s win Thursday. “I’m head-over-heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win.”

The Phoenix Mercury star continued: “I’m sure it will be even more emotional a little later on. Yeah, I’m just happy. This was a big win. Huge win. … I know they have an amazing group of people that are going to help them out — them and their families.”

Brittney Griner releases statement on Instagram Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner, also released a statement about the news on Instagram. “We are overwhelmed with joy and relief for the four U.S. citizens who returned safely to America today,” the statement said.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., were the other two prisoners released in the swap. “The Biden-Harris Administration showed true leadership once again by doing whatever it took to bring Americans home. Every American returned is a win,” the statement said.

It also said: “Although today is one of celebration, our hearts go out to the many Americans still being held hostage overseas, and their families. As we extend support to those who have returned and celebrate the collective hands that helped to make American families whole – we must continue to do everything we can to shine a light on the remaining Americans detained.”