This year there have been more mass shootings in the U.S. than days. It’s painfully clear and pitifully obvious this country has a gun problem.
But Ja Morant doesn’t have a gun problem. He doesn’t even have an image problem. He has a judgment problem. And right now, the only judgment the Memphis star has is bad judgment — made worse by the people around him.
Morant has already lost millions of dollars because of his gun-toting behavior, and is going to lose millions more after his latest.
On Saturday, video of Morant flashing what looks like a pistol while sitting in a car appeared on social media and spread quickly by the next day. He was seen in an Instagram Live video holding the gun and rapping to a song by NBA Youngboy while in the car with his friend, Davonte Pack. When Pack throws up a gun sign with his hands, Morant pulls out real iron.
The Grizzlies suspended their star guard from all team activities, while NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the league was gathering more information.
It’s not the first time the NBA has had to investigate Morant, and his history suggests he’ll make the league do it again someday. Just two months ago, he got suspended for eight games for “holding a firearm while intoxicated” inside a Colorado strip club. He spent 11 days at a Florida counseling facility and proclaimed himself “more responsible.”
But clearly not responsible enough. And his friends like Pack not only fail to steer him away from such foolishness, but indulge it. They’re enabling his own self-destructive behavior.
Those eight games without pay pale in comparison to what Morant is truly costing himself.
Memphis was seeded second in the West, but got bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. After their humbling 125-85 loss to the Lakers on April 28, Morant acknowledged his own part in it.
“I’ve just got to be better with my decision-making; that’s pretty much it,” Morant said. “Off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just [need] more discipline.”
Those off-the-court issues have hurt the Grizzles, and hurt Morant.
Yes, he has a five-year, $194 million contract set to kick in next season. But if he’d made All-NBA, that would’ve been a supermax deal. Not being voted All-NBA cost him nearly $39 million, and as voter, I can say his behavior had an impact.
Powerade pulled an ad featuring Morant after the first gun gaffe. It strains credulity to think he won’t get a much longer suspension after Strike 2.
After Morant met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in March, the latter was stern but understanding.
“He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior,” Silver had said. “Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident.”
With 9.6 million followers on Instagram and 2.7 million on Twitter, Morant has legions of followers. What’s disappointing is where he tries to lead some, or what he’ll do to get social media likes from others.
Morant has proven what he does is more truthful than what he says, telling Silver what the commissioner wanted to hear. And what he’s done is embarrass the logo and threaten the bottom line.
Granted, Morant hasn’t been charged with a crime; but this falls under the collective bargaining agreement’s vague “conduct detrimental to the league clause” no player wants to run afoul of.
Players with a behavioral history get harsher penalties, and considering Morant has a prodigious history at just 23, there is a feeling in league circles that any upcoming suspension could be more serious.
There was an alleged assault on teenager Joshua Holloway during a pickup game, supposedly punching him and flashing (naturally) a firearm. And an alleged threat of store employee Givon Busby for not having the shoe Morant’s mother wanted. And of course the reported confrontation between his friends and Pacers staff.
Back to his friends again. After gun Strikes 1 and 2, unless Morant develops better judgment — especially in who he surrounds himself with — Strike 3 won’t be a surprise.