Does the Punishment Fit? Ja Morant Suspended 25 Games
Sports Editor Will Lyons provides perspective on NBA star Ja Morant’s suspension following his second incident of brandishing a firearm on social media.
Before we get into the details of the Ja Morant situation, we have to look at some context. Ja is a 23-year-old black man in America, no matter how you feel about what he has done we must start here. Ja has dealt with the same potential pitfalls and obstacles as any player that has reached the league but his journey looked very different. Ja played on the same team as Zion Williamson at one point, as the two South Carolina natives forged very different paths to stardom.
Unlike the basketball phenom, Zion Williamson, Ja was discovered in a gym at an AAU event when he wasn’t even being scouted. His talent caught the eye of a member of the coaching staff at Murray State and he’s been on a rise ever since. Ja spent two seasons as a Murray State Racer before becoming the second pick in the draft. A gifted player that was never a ranked player, propelled himself to being a celebrity and star within a span of 18–24 months. This could be overwhelming for anyone — even if was your lifelong dream.
Now let’s fast forward to the incidents leading up to his second suspension. Ja has been linked to multiple situations involving violence and/or a firearm. In the first incident, Ja allegedly assaulted a teenager during a pickup game before brandishing a firearm as he made his exit. The second incident is mostly innocent, as Ja found himself in a strip club during a road trip with the team. It was all good until he showed a pistol on IG live. The most recent incident saw Ja showing off his gun collection again on IG live.
Ja’s suspension is fair for a few reasons, but I personally do not feel like it was enough. As far as we know the guns are legal, but you have to hold yourself to a higher standard as the face of an NBA franchise, Nike and as a role model to millions of children. Commisioner Silver came to the decision of a 25 game suspension based on other punishments he has given in the past. Silver suspended Miles Bridges (former Charlotte Hornets forward) for 30 games after he was exposed for domestic violence against his girlfriend. You have a situation where you do not want to punish Ja for essentially being reckless on social media more than an actual abuser.
My Take
If I’m the commissioner, Ja gets suspended for the entire season because it’s not the first time and he essentially didn’t care or appreciate the light 8 game suspension from the second incident. Athletes and rappers tend to live in a “I didn’t ask to be a role model.” mentality but it is not realistic or logical. By default you are influencing the kids that aspire to follow in your foot steps and you have to take that gift and responsibility seriously. Ja is a 23 year old muti-millionaire with infinite opportunities in front of him but the first thing that should be on his mind is his daughter and his own safety. He needs to make major adjustments before he ends up playing in Shanghai or before he ends up as a hashtag because someone brought the energy he likes to play around with on social media.
