Ja Morant has been suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies for two games. The reason for this would be the fact that he appeared to flash a gun on an Instagram live recently. It couldn’t come at a worse time for Ja, mainly because of how he was recently accused of attacking a 17-year-old as well. Although Ja admitted to the offense, he claimed that the teenager sent violent threats, causing him to act.
The Grizzlies franchise suspended Ja for at least two games, meaning he will miss the trip to LA. It is a huge blow for the team, mainly because how they won’t have Dillon Brooks due to suspension. Brandon Clarke will also miss the rest of the season due to a torn Achilles.
Ja Morant has released a statement pic.twitter.com/AlHl88rFKY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 4, 2023
Ja issued an apology after the suspension and claimed that he would be taking some time away from the public eye to reflect on his actions. He also mentioned that he would work on exploring new methods to deal with stress better. Nike, the brand that Morant has signed a signature shoe deal with, released a statement as well.
NBA fans react to Nike’s statement on Ja Morant’s suspension
Nike mentioned that the priority would be Ja’s well-being. The company reiterated the fact that they appreciate Ja has taken full responsibility for the actions in recent days. This has not gone down too well with fans, who bring up a certain incident with another NBA superstar. A fan simply tweeted, “Where was this energy for Kyrie.”
where was this energy for kyrie 😭
— optimistic vipers fan (0-2) (@chooppafrmny) March 5, 2023
Nike is a bunch of hypocrites. They stand for a wannabe thug flashing his gun around but quick to drop Kyrie.
— Kaleb Earls (@K_Earls32) March 5, 2023
It’s a different story with Kyrie though?
— LeChon (@lawrenceaibanez) March 5, 2023
So they not gonna drop him but they drop Kyrie who had the best selling shoes for them
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) March 5, 2023
mane nike is so full of crap cuz the moment kyrie said something they dropped his contract
— notjustin (@jayman_90402) March 5, 2023
Fans believe Nike “are a bunch of hypocrites” for the way they are dealing with the situation. For those who don’t know, the brand cut ties with Kyrie Irving. The deal was worth $11 million and the decision was one that many questioned. The Kyrie signature shoe line was one of Nike’s best sellers.
A few months ago, the guard was under fire for promoting a movie that contained anti-Semitic views. The Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie for a significant amount of time, and he had to apologize to the world publicly. Despite this, Nike terminated its contract with the player.
Fans believe that the same should have been done with Ja, or Kyrie should have never been let go. Whatever the case, it looks like Ja will be away for some time until the situation improves. As for Kyrie, he has been spotted covering his Nike shoes as he remains without a shoe sponsor.
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