Ja Morant has inadvertently put himself back in the news after an Instagram story found him flashing a firearm in his friend’s car. The Memphis Grizzlies had suspended him for 8 games a few months back. At the time, Morant had expressed remorse for his actions at a Colorado strip club. But his recent actions put the sincerity of his words into severe doubt.
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At first glance, it’s not easy to tell the exact moment when the 23-year-old is brandishing his firearm. However, upon several replays, the author found the 13-second mark of the above clip to be the relevant timestamp.
Morant’s 8-game suspension probably cost him a whopping $39 million of his possible supermax extension. But the Grizzlies star clearly doesn’t care all that much about his reduced payday, judging from his recent actions.
We do have to keep in mind that if this video was taken in Tennessee, Ja Morant was not in violation of any laws.
NBA Twitter mercilessly roasts Ja Morant
NBA fans had a field day with the graphic content of Morant’s strip club misadventures in February. The trolls, journalists and hardcore fans alike are all united in berating the young point guard for his heedless actions.
One fan even went to the extent of joking that his NBA career could be over.
Given that many pro sports players’ careers have endured much worse misdemeanors, the above take isn’t particularly smart. However, where’s the fun in accuracy when you can make jokes out of the size of Ja’s firearm, as in the tweet below:
Some hardliners are undoubtedly going all in on calling Ja a ‘menace’. They’re clamoring for Adam Silver to suspend.
Long-time NBA writers like Keith Smith and Tyler Conway have weighed in as well:
How does this incident portray Morant?
The gun incident is a significant setback for Morant’s career. He is a rising star in the NBA, and he is expected to be a face of the league for years to come. However, the gun incident could damage his reputation and make it difficult for him to market himself as a role model.
The NBA is also likely to take a dim view of Morant’s behavior. The league has a strict policy against players possessing firearms, and Morant could be suspended for violating the policy. A suspension would be a major blow to Morant’s career, and it would make it difficult for him to help the Grizzlies win a championship.
Morant needs to learn from his mistakes and make better choices in the future. He is undoubtedly a talented player with a bright future. But he needs to be more responsible if he wants to reach his full potential.
