NBA Chief Commissioner Adam Silver finally announced the league’s decision on Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant. Morant was suspended for a total of 25 games after being seen showing off a handgun in an Instagram video last month. Soon after the decision was announced, Morant released a statement apologizing for his actions. However, the response has not gone down well for Stephen A. Smith, who criticized Morant on ESPN’s First Take.
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Morant was largely expected to be suspended for longer than the 8 games he was barred due to the first incident. Regardless, Smith believes that Morant’s apology is basically the same as the one he released in the aftermath of the first video. The ESPN analyst questioned the statement’s authenticity and wasn’t sure if it was truthful.
Stephen A. Smith questions Ja Morant apology statement
Ja Morant had earlier claimed that he was getting therapy after the first Instagram Live video. This time around, he responded similarly, claiming that he could see and recognize the amount of hurt he had caused.
Morant vowed to be a better representation to fans and said that he was continuing his work on his mental health and decision-making. However, Stephen A. Smith questioned the veracity of these claims.
Smith hilariously addressed Ja, claiming that “nobody believed him” as it was basically the same statement that he had released earlier. However, Smith also claimed that he wants what is best for Ja Morant:
Nobody believes you, bro. Nobody believes you. I don’t say that flippantly. I’m a fan of Ja Morant. He is a superstar that I want this game to celebrate for years and years to come. I’m not casting aspersions on your agent or anybody else. I’m saying it sounds somewhat similar to what you said on camera months ago with your first suspension. So Ja Morant has to understand you’re not believed. Nobody believes the thing that you’re saying right now. You really are in a show and prove point.
He added:
We know what you can do on the basketball court, but now it’s a show-and-prove element when it comes to your character. Because the mistakes you made, you not only looked Adam Silver in the face. You went on camera, on national TV, getting interviewed by Jalen Rose and you clearly lied. No one believes you. We hope you’re telling the truth. But if you ask somebody to bet money, that the veracity and truthfulness of your words are something we should embrace, ain’t nobody betting money on that, bro. Nobody. You need to know that as you move forwards”
Needless to say, while Smith wants Morant to succeed, he does not know if Morant will actually improve, moving forward.
Ja Morant wilfully live-streamed handgun during the May 13th video
According to Shams Charania, the NBA also found that Morant wilfully showed off the handgun during the video. The player was well aware that he was being recorded and that the video was being live-streamed.
This comes as a huge surprise especially because Morant had already been suspended for exactly the same mistake. The 23-year-old obviously has a lot of talent, and every NBA fan wants to see him make a return.
However, it is clear that the player needs to bring about some large-scale changes in order to succeed in the league. Morant will now be looking to prove the detractors wrong and make a swift return.
