Ja Morant Flunks the Common-Sense Test
Maybe a suspension will convince the Grizzlies star that he has too much to lose.
In an apology statement on Tuesday after his latest suspension for apparently brandishing a gun on social media, the NBA star Ja Morant declared, “My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”
The Memphis Grizzlies point guard is right: His promises can’t be trusted. On Saturday, an Instagram Live video appeared to show Morant recklessly waving a firearm while riding in a vehicle’s passenger seat. In response, the Grizzlies indefinitely suspended him on Sunday from all team activities. In March, after another Instagram Live video showed Morant holding up a gun inside a Denver-area nightclub, the NBA suspended Morant for eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league.
Watching one of professional basketball’s most electric players sabotage his career is painful. But at this point, Morant deserves a lengthy suspension for next season—one that hopefully will convince the superstar that he has far too much to lose to keep doing what he’s been doing.
When Morant met with Adam Silver in March, the NBA commissioner seemed to be under the impression that Morant understood that his actions were unacceptable and definitely not to be repeated. In a statement then, Silver described Morant’s conduct as “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous” and cited the player’s “enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him.” The commissioner deemed Morant’s expressions of remorse to be sincere.
Silver told ESPN on Tuesday that he and Morant had talked “directly about the consequences” during that meeting. The commissioner also said he was “shocked” by the latest video: “Now we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best [extent] we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst.”
Morant should have realized that the period after his previous suspension was a test of his common sense—a test that he failed miserably.
A strong message from the league is warranted, because it might be what puts an end to Morant’s self-destructive behavior. Maybe after sitting out a considerable amount of his season, Morant will finally realize that his words and actions need to align if he wants to continue his promising NBA career.
In recent months, Morant has been the subject of too many negative headlines, which have created the perception that he is a careless, immature athlete who can’t handle stardom. Less than a week before the first gun video appeared, news broke that Morant had been accused the previous summer of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall and punching a 17-year-old in the head during a pickup game at Morant’s house. Those incidents allegedly occurred within days of each other.
Morant’s history strongly suggests that his trajectory is going in the wrong direction. The 23-year-old point guard is talented and dominant on the court. Last year, the Grizzlies signed Morant to a five-year contract extension worth $193 million, effectively positioning him as the face of the franchise. But in sports, many careers have been ruined because of a refusal to make smarter choices in the outside world. As a young Black athlete, Morant is likely to be judged more harshly for his conduct and face stiffer consequences than white athletes. Morant has a lucrative endorsement deal with Powerade, but the sports-drink brand pulled an ad after the March incident and, as a spokesperson told ESPN, currently isn’t promoting any content featuring him. If Morant continues down his current path, he could lose the generational wealth that he’s creating.
Morant does live in a state whose legislature voted in 2021 to allow concealed and unconcealed permitless carry for handguns by anyone 21 or older. But just because Morant hasn’t broken any laws—assuming this latest incident actually occurred in Tennessee—that doesn’t make his conduct excusable, much less good for his future. Morant having a gun isn’t the problem; it’s that every time he’s been seen with one on social media, he isn’t behaving responsibly and seems to be using the gun like a prop for clout instead of for actual protection.
Morant’s apparent attachment to guns represents a deep, disturbing American mindset. Anyone critical of his conduct should also be outraged when conservative politicians post online—and send out as Christmas cards—pictures of themselves with their families posing with assault rifles. Although there’s a major difference between working for a private entity such as the NBA and being an elected official who platforms gun ownership as part of a larger political agenda, the United States is the only country in the world where civilian guns outnumber people; among developed nations, it has the highest firearm-homicide rate. In late March, a mass shooting at a Nashville school left three children and three adults dead. Considering the regularity of such shootings and the broader scope of gun violence in this country, many Americans are rightly unnerved.
This country loves its guns. The hope is that Morant eventually realizes that his career and potential greatness are worth much more.
