Stephen A. Smith isn’t buying Ja Morant’s latest mea culpa.
Shortly after the Grizzies guard issued an apology Friday in the wake of his 25-game suspension for appearing to brandish a weapon on Instagram Live in May — the second gun-related incident in a two-month span — Smith unloaded on Morant, suggesting his words are thin at best.
“Nobody believes you, bro,” Smith said on “First Take.”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.”
Smith later added, “The reason why you are not believed is because you already lied. And that statement that [ESPN’s] Adrian Wojnarowski, the ultimate insider, just read on the national airwaves that he received from your agent… I’m saying it sounds somewhat similar to what you said on camera months ago with your first suspension.”
Morant, who was initially hit with an eight-game suspension in March after appearing to hold a gun in an Instagram Live video, apologized Friday to his teammates, the league, his sponsors, and fans, vowing “to be better.”
“I’m spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision making… I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you,” Morant’s statement read.
Morant, who said in March that he takes “full responsibility” for his actions, is now at a “show and prove point,” according to Smith.
“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 [NBA Commissoner] Adam Silver in the face, you went on-camera, national TV, getting interviewed by Jalen Rose, and you clearly lied. No one believes you,” Smith said.
“We hope you’re telling the truth, but if you asked 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. You need to know that as you move forward.”
In addition to Smith, Silver condemned Morant and his “reckless and irresponsible behavior” in a scathing statement.
“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” Silver said.
“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”
Morant now stands to lose around $7.6 million stemming from his suspension in the 2023-24 season.
He averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds last season, his fourth in the league, and helped lead the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the Western Conference.