Jonathan Irons released from prison after WNBA star Maya Moore put her career on hold
WNBA star Maya Moore stepped away from her basketball career at the peak of her success to help fight for a man who’d been wrongfully incarcerated for 20 years and her efforts came to fruition when that man was finally released.
Moore, 31, shocked the sports world in 2019 when she announced that she was putting her career with the Minnesota Lynx on hold in order to focus, in part, on securing the release of Jonathan Irons, who was serving a 50-year sentence for burglary and assault at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in Missouri.
After his conviction was overturned in March, Irons, 40, officially became a free man. Moore was present to capture his emotional exit, which she later shared in a video on Instagram.
“I feel like I can live life now. I’m free, I’m blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God’s help and influence,” Irons said in the video. “I thank everybody who supported me- Maya and her family.”
Moore, a Jefferson City native, reportedly first met Irons in 2007 during a prison ministry visit to his correctional center, and the two forged a friendship.
The four-time WNBA champion announced her hiatus from basketball in 2019, and in September of that year said that she was “dedicating [her] life to freeing Jonathan the same way [she] dedicated [her]self to each game in the WNBA.” She later said she would extend her break for a second year.
“People don’t want to watch a fixed game, they want to watch a fair game, and so that’s all we’re asking for, in our justice system – let’s be fair,” Moore said.
Moore helped bring attention and awareness to Irons’ case, and she also helped fund the hiring of defense attorney Kent Gipson.
“There’s so much greater coming on the horizon, and I see it,” Irons said. “Even in the darkness, I was able to see it. I want people to have hope for this story. “Cause we’re in dark times. We’ve got to keep going, we’ve got to keep the faith.”
He said that when he finds time, he hopes to become an advocate for people who are less fortunate and help people with their cases just as Moore did for him.
He also revealed that he and Moore began having feelings for one another while he was still serving. He proposed to her while he was in prison, but didn’t want Moore to give him a real answer until he was released. Once he was released, Irons proposed again and the two have since tied the knot.
“We’re super excited to continue the work we have been doing, but doing it as a married couple,” Moore said before Irons happily showed the camera his wedding band. “We got married a couple of months ago and are excited to continue this new chapter of life together.”
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/UjMtZAFpsDA
- https://people.com/sports/maya-moore-put-career-hold-help-overturn-conviction-release/
- https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-star-maya-moore-marries-jonathan-irons-the-man-she-helped-free-from-wrongful-conviction/
- https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eRRlxBvTS/
- https://readloud.net/
About Author
