Ja Morant had a big slip-up on social media once again and things aren’t going to get easier for the young star. He along with his good friend Davonte Pack were driving together listening to NBA YoungBoy while Morant flashed a gun on Instagram Live. This has sparked controversy regarding the player’s attitude and behavior. The incident has also enraged his supporters as well. Expert analysts have criticized him as well.
ESPN’s Michael Wilbon went all out while addressing the issue on a segment of NBA Countdown. He said, “There are people who could be around him who are going to have to help lead him out of this… you could try to PR your way out of this through other social media forms and all of that. But the question is, is he going to do the work that is required of himself to get out of this and for this not to be the end?”
But Wilbon made it clear that Morant will not have his support anymore.
Michael Wilbon says his son is no longer allowed to wear Ja Morant’s signature shoes: “I told [my son] Matthew you can’t have the shoe… our money as a family is not going toward that” pic.twitter.com/RmJsvjxVZM
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 15, 2023
In addition to his rant, Wilbon addressed the fact that his endorsements with Nike and Powerade could be terminated. He also added, “I know in my house, I told Matthew, ‘You can’t have the shoe. I’m not buying that shoe. You’re not buying that shoe. Our money as a family is not going toward that.’”
Nike’s deal with Ja Morant is worth $12 million and they recently launched his signature line a few months ago. His actions are fatal to his future as a player, representative of various franchises, and a working-class individual.
Ja Morant fails to stay true to his word
This isn’t the first time Ja Morant has been in trouble for violating the NBA’s code of conduct. Back in March, the 23-year-old point guard visited a club and partied with his friends. Morant went live on Instagram and waved a gun around. His punishments included an eight-game suspension with loss of pay. Morant may have lost over $600,000 during his suspension.
He took to social media and released a statement saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis, and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.” Ja Morant took the necessary steps to regain the trust that was lost between him and the league.
The Memphis Grizzlies star admitted his mistake and realized the position he had put himself in. With regard to his large fan following, Morant needs to be a role model to them. However, with history repeating itself, Ja’s superstar reputation is in danger. He has been suspended from all team activities until further notice and the NBA is currently investigating the matter.