Robert Griffin III hasn’t been the biggest Angel Reese fan lately.
That, however, didn’t stop the Fox college football analyst from defending the WNBA star against blatant racism she has faced on social media.
Taking to X on Thursday, Griffin called attention to a racist photoshop of Reese’s new NBA 2K26 video game cover. And despite the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner claiming that the LSU product helped amplify harassment against him and his family in the wake of his controversial comments regarding her feud with Caitlin Clark, Griffin felt a responsibility to say something about the racist edit.
“Alright. This has got to stop. There is no place for racism in this world,” Griffin wrote while sharing a screenshot of the photoshop that portrayed Reese as a monkey on the video game’s cover. “Whether you like a player or not. Angel Reese should never be called or depicted as a Monkey.”
The 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, however, didn’t stop there, opting to briefly reflect on his previous issues with Reese. And in doing so, he made the claim that people from the 23-year-old’s camp reached out to him to let him know that his belief that she legitimately hates Clark was correct.
“I have been quiet on the Angel Reese front because she shared a video that aided in my wife, kids, family and friends receiving death threats, threats of physical harm to my family and friends and threats of sexual violence to my children on social media and beyond,” he wrote. “That will never be okay with me. I never attacked her or her family when I stated and backed up with clear basketball evidence that Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark. It’s sports. Everybody won’t like each other.
“People in Angel’s inner circle called me and told me I was right and Angel Reese has grown to hate Caitlin Clark because of the media always asking her about Caitlin and being constantly compared to her. Some people made it about race, but I never did and never will. Instead of becoming the villain in anyone’s story, I decided to just not.”
Grifin, however, reiterated that, “Angel Reese or any Black man or woman should never be called or depicted as a Monkey. Ever” and “There should be no space for racism in this world.”
Alright. This has got to stop. 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.
I have been quiet on the Angel Reese front because she shared a video that aided in my wife, kids, family and… pic.twitter.com/luxC7h0Rpg
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 10, 2025
While Griffin’s choice to publicly speak out against the racism Reese has faced appears to be well-intentioned, it seems curious that he would use it as an opportunity to reveal what her inner circle told him about their previous issues. Ultimately, he could have expressed the same sentiments without taking what appeared to be a victory lap on his months-old take.
On the one hand, it makes sense that Griffin would reference the past headlines involving himself and Reese, especially after they blew up thanks to ESPN’s Ryan Clark criticizing the former Baylor star by pointing to his marriage to a white woman. Conversely, he still could have done so without rehashing — if not further amplifying — his previous claim about Reese’s feelings toward Clark.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.