Raymond Griner is a former Marine officer and a retired deputy sheriff. He is renowned as the father of six-time WNBA All-Star player Brittney Griner.
In 2022, her arrest and imprisonment in Russia for illegal drug-related offenses caused a stir in the media. She was eventually released.
Raymond Griner Bio Summary
Full name: Raymond Griner
Gender: Male
Date of birth: August 2, 1945
Age: 78 (as of 2023)
Place of birth: United States
Current residence: Harris County, Texas, USA
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: African-American
Religion: Christianity
Sexuality: Straight
Height: 6’2″ (187 cm)
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Dark brown
Marital status: Married
Wife: Sandra
Children: Four- Declaro, Shkera, Pier, and Brittney
Profession: Former military officer, Law enforcement officer
Raymond Griner, the father of a prominent basketball star, was born on August 2, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, USA. His lineage, however, traces back to Africa, and he moved to Los Angeles along with his family in 1959.
Raymond is of African and Black descent and is an American by nationality. He is also a devout Christian and is very staunch in his faith. No specific information is available about the educational background of Brittney Griner’s father.
Career
Raymond spent two tours in the Vietnam War as part of his service in the military. According to a photo on his daughter’s Instagram, he was enlisted in the army during the late 1960s.
After his two tours of duty were completed, he went back to the United States and was reunited with his family. After his return to the US, Raymond began working as a deputy sheriff in Harris County, Texas. He is now enjoying his retirement.
Personal Life
Raymond and Sandra Griner are the proud parents of four children: Declaro, Shkera, Pier, and Brittney. The couple gained notoriety when Brittney became a member of the WNBA in 2013 and was briefly detained in Russia in 2022.
Sandra and Raymond have had their fair share of ups and downs but have managed to stick together through it all.
How is Raymond Griner’s relationship with Brittney Griner?
Raymond has raised her daughters in a disciplined household. He is a staunch Catholic and a US Army veteran. His daughter, Brittney Griner, is famously known as a WNBA All-Star player.
It was due to Brittney’s talents that her family gained the media limelight. However, it has also allowed her fans to understand the struggles that she went through within her family at a young age.
When she was in seventh grade, Brittney came out to her parents as gay. While her mother and sisters continued to offer their love and support, her father was not ready to accept her new identity. He responded that he wasn’t “raising any lesbian.”
This soured her relationship with her father. She recalled,
“My dad always told me to just be who I was, but I don’t think he knew exactly how I took it.”
Due to the conflict, Brittney had to relocate during her final year of high school and stay with one of the assistant coaches of her school’s team.
Nevertheless, unlike any loving parent, Raymond Griner decided to come around and accept his daughter for who she was. One of Brittney’s best friends from high school said,
“He finally got on board that either you accept your daughter and take her for what she is and you unconditionally love her, or you’re not going to have her.”
She further added,
“I don’t think Ray could live with himself if he lost his daughter.”
Raymond Griner’s Net Worth
As of 2023, Raymond Griner is estimated to have a net worth of around $3 million, which he earned from his job as a deputy sheriff. This has enabled him to live a wealthy and comfortable lifestyle with his family.
