Could his fixation on waving guns end his NBA career?
Ja Morant is running away with the title of dumbest player in the NBA, and there is no shortage of NBA players with questionable judgment. As of just a few months ago, Morant was considered one of the faces of the NBA. He has a $194 million contract from the Memphis Grizzlies, a sweet shoe deal from Nike, and played for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season.
Nobody:
Ja Morant when he see a phone out: pic.twitter.com/z88FwqVgbB— The Chosen One (@Jay_money214) May 15, 2023
Things have quickly begun to come crashing down for Ja. Back in March, Morant made NBA news headlines when he was seen brandishing a firearm during an Instagram Live feed while he was at a strip club. That led to him getting suspended for eight games and having to undergo counseling. He eventually came back and was on good behavior but that was short-lived.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed on a May 14 Instagram Live session, Morant was driving in a car with his friends when he decided to pull out a gun for seemingly no reason. That decision appears to have serious ramifications for his career. The Grizzlies have already suspended him indefinitely and the NBA is conducting an investigation. Commissioner Adam Silver said in an interview with ESPN that he’s “assuming the worst,” which doesn’t bode well for Morant’s future.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant was allegedly seen holding a gun on an IG Live yesterday.pic.twitter.com/bqvwbwgd9m
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 14, 2023
To make matters worse, his shoe deal with Nike could be in jeopardy. YouTube Guy on Twitter noticed that Morant’s shoes have been removed from the Nike website. NBA rumors say that’s a sign that they could be looking to cut ties. That won’t be the last of his problems. He’s certainly going to be suspended but it remains to be seen for how long.
The SKU is now gone on the Ja 1 “Hunger” page on SNKRS & all Ja Morant’s sneakers have been removed on the Nike website…..👀 pic.twitter.com/YaYb4jCfi5
— YouTube Guy (@SneakerPhetish) May 17, 2023
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski claims that it’s going to be a serious punishment. “I think Ja Morant is facing a lengthy, significant suspension to start next season if indeed that was a firearm in his hand in that video. […] I don’t think Adam Silver is going to take this one lightly,” Wojnarowski said on “Get Up.”
Morant has come out and apologized but that apology rings hollow considering he had a similar incident just two months ago. He’s only 23 right now and young people make mistakes. However, Morant has shown an unwillingness to learn from his mistakes. The guy keeps stomping on the same stone. And the Grizzlies are coming off of a disappointing playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and their patience could be wearing thin.
There’s been debate regarding how long Morant will be suspended. If he misses the whole year, he stands to lose $33.5 million in salary and that’s not to mention the loss of sponsorships. A year might be harsh but Morant clearly needs a wake-up call. If the Grizzlies and NBA take away his ability to make money playing basketball for a whole year, he may finally start to understand the gravity of his situation.
Fans now believe that Ja Morant used ChatGPT to write his public apology 😳 pic.twitter.com/YFH9Mxa6km
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 17, 2023
Morant won’t and shouldn’t be facing any kind of lifetime ban. He’s still very young and has a long career ahead of him. Getting a year taken away and learning that his actions have consequences could be a great thing for him.
Whenever he comes back, he’s going to be on very thin ice. One more incident like this could result in unprecedented punishments. It would be a shame to see one of the NBA’s great young talents throw his career away just so he can pretend to be a gangster.
