Brittney Griner shares her tribute for heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne after his death aged 76

Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner joined fellow athletes and fans around the world in mourning the death of Ozzy Osbourne. The WNBA star shared a tribute to the heavy metal legend, who died at the age of 76 on Tuesday.

Osbourne passed away in the UK after struggling with Parkinson’s disease for the last few years. Earlier this month, Osbourne took the stage with Black Sabbath for a farewell show.

“He was with his family and surrounded by love,” Osbourne’s family said in a statement. “We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

Ozzy Osbourne was regarded as one of the most important figures in the world of heavy metal, serving as the frontman for the band Black Sabbath. Griner paid tribute to Osbourne by sharing a picture of him on Instagram on Tuesday, calling him the ‘Godfather’ of heavy metal.

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“R.I.P. TO THE GODFATHER OF HEAVY METAL!” Griner wrote.

After playing 11 seasons for the Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner signed with the Atlanta Dream this offseason. She has been in fine form with her new team, averaging 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

A massive step down from her performance with the Mercury in 2024. Griner made 30 appearances last season, recording 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

Brittney Griner set for an emotional reunion with the Phoenix Mercury

Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream will take on the Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center on Wednesday. The Mercury drafted Griner with the No. 1 pick of the 2013 draft. She went on to play 11 seasons in Phoenix, averaging 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks through 315 games.

Griner was regarded as one of the best defenders in the league during her time in Phoenix. She also won two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2014 and 2015, and was part of Phoenix’s championship-winning roster in 2014, sharing the court with Diana Taurasi.

While Griner is no longer the same player, she will have extra motivation heading into Wednesday’s game. The Mercury-Dream game is scheduled to tip off at 10 p.m. ET on July 23. Heading into this game, Atlanta is No. 5 in the standings, trailing the Phoenix Mercury in third by two and a half games.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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