Brittney Griner’s Dad Raymond Griner Once Struggled to Accept Her Sexual Orientation

Raymond Griner is Brittney Griner’s dad. He is the father of one of the most famous female basketball players. However, their relationship has not always been rosy. When he first discovered her sexuality, he struggled to accept his daughter for her choices.

Brittney Griner is a successful basketballer today, but as a child, she faced a lot of humiliation and bullying. She grew up in Houston as the last child with three older siblings.

Growing up, she dabbled into many things while trying to find herself. She would sew with her mother, Sandra Griner, watch military shows with her father, was a go-kart rider, and more.

Brittney Griner at the 2021 WNBA semifinals on October 6, 2021, in Phoenix | Source: Getty Images

However, she felt different, especially at school, and things worsened. When Brittney got to sixth grade, her height and body frame made her the subject of bullying among her classmates.

They would call her names, and she could not report the abuse because she felt humiliated. She soon earned a reputation for fighting because she would rather defend herself. The older she got, the more she tried to fit in without success.

Brittney Griner on court while playing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games on August 6, 2021, in Japan | Source: Getty Images

Finally, she embraced herself and is now a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Despite her success, her troubles were not over. In February 2022, Brittney was detained in Russia, and by August, she received a nine years sentence in a penal colony.

They found her guilty of trying to smuggle illegal narcotics into the country. However, on December 8, 2022, President Joe Biden confirmed she had been released after the US did a prisoner swap.

Brittney Griner after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games on August 8, 2021, in Japan | Source: Getty Images

Raymond Griner Is a Man with a Strong Military Background

Raymond is almost as tall as his daughter as he is 6-foot-2 while she is 6-foot-8. He was in the Marines and served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.

He worked in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for over three decades. In addition, he worked as a school security guard at Nimitz High School while his daughter was schooling there.

Off the court, Brittney’s father had taught her how to defend herself as he knew that she inherited their family’s short fuse. However, that was not all that he taught her.

Raymond also taught her how to work with cars. He had taught her how to change oil, repair brakes, and more. Once she was old enough to get her license, he bought her a car.

Portrait of Brittney Griner for the USA Women’s National Team on July 17, 2021, in Las Vegas | Source: Getty Images

Brittney Griner’s Dunks Caused Anxiety for Her Father

As a teenager, Raymond said Brittney’s height, hair, and body frame made people think she was a boy. They would usually say, “What’s up, man?” while greeting her.

Even then, Raymond knew his daughter was not an ordinary teenager. She had started learning to dunk basketballs, and when she got her first one right without falling, word spread through the school.

Portrait of Brittney Griner for the 2018 WNBA All-Star Welcome Reception on July 27, 2018, in Minneapolis | Source: Getty Images

At the time, Raymond, working as a security guard at her school, also heard the news. When he got home, he also saw the evidence of her practice on the rim of the basket they had, as her dunking had caused it to bend.

Despite his military background and having a daughter who is taller than him, he is still a protective and paranoid father. As she garnered fans for her dunks, he grew anxious.

Brittney Griner during practice on March 31, 2012, in Colorado | Source: Getty Images

After one of her games in high school, where she took the last dunk that led her team to win, Raymond gave his daughter advice. He said:

“If you’re running to dunk the ball, if you’ve got somebody behind you or beside you, don’t go up and dunk it.”

He did not want his daughter to end up with something broken, as he believed winning was not worth the price. Unfortunately, their relationship started to suffer some strain while she was still in high school.

Raymond Griner Didn’t Immediately Accept His Daughter’s Sexuality

Things did not get better for Brittney Grinner, who was once reportedly engaged to Anthony Davis. Once her father knew about her sexuality in her senior year, he was furious. Raymond said:

“I ain’t raising no gay girl.”

He stopped her from inviting friends over after school and reportedly kicked her out of the house. The basketball player had the support of her mother and siblings.

However, Raymond came around when she got into Baylor University and continued playing excellently. He realized that her sexuality was not hindering her from playing a good game.

Brittney also did not hold any grudges against her father, as she later revealed that his actions strengthened her. She said it prepared her better for life because life was not always rosy, and people reacted differently.

Despite their challenges, Brittney and Raymond now have a better relationship. He now understands that his daughter only wanted to be herself, and he also had a great relationship with her then-girlfriend.

Brittney is not alone, as other celebrities have had their sexuality not accepted or did not accept that of their children. Singer Barbra Streisand was happy after her son came out, but her husband was not pleased, and singer Gloria Estefan also could not accept her daughter’s sexuality.

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