Angel Reese‘s historic rise in the WNBA continues to draw headlines. But this week, a disturbing fan-made image crossed the line. Further drawing widespread condemnation, including from former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III.
After Reese was announced as one of the cover stars for NBA 2K26, an offensive image began circulating online, photoshopping a monkey face onto her photo. The racist depiction quickly drew backlash, but Griffin’s response stood out.
“There is no place for racism in this world. Whether you like a player or not. Angel Reese should never be called or depicted as a monkey,” Griffin wrote on X.
Griffin Speaks from Personal Experience
Despite past disagreements with Reese, Griffin made it clear that racism is never justifiable. He admitted he had been quiet about Reese recently due to a prior incident where she reposted a video that led to his family receiving death threats.
“That will never be okay with me,” he said, but emphasized that criticism of gameplay is different from personal attacks.
Griffin added that even members of Reese’s inner circle agreed with his earlier critiques of her on-court behavior and media frustrations. Particularly around comparisons with Caitlin Clark. Still, none of that, he said, justifies racial hatred.
“If you hate Angel Reese because she is Black, you are the problem. If you hate her because you’re a Caitlin Clark fan, don’t turn it racial,” Griffin added.
As social media continues to play a growing role in sports culture, Griffin’s words were a powerful reminder: Disagreement doesn’t have to mean dehumanization. And athletes, no matter how polarizing, deserve to be treated with basic human respect.
Read More: WNBA Fans Slam RGIII for “Hate-Baiting” Angel Reese Comments
