Why Ja Morant Should Receive a Lengthy Suspension
Ja Morant and the Grizzlies have been the hot topic of the NBA for the past few days. Each day the team is slowly losing their players due to off and on-the-court issues. Dillon Brooks was suspended one game for receiving his 16th technical foul. Brandon Clarke tore his Achilles and will miss the remainder of the season. But most controversially, Ja Morant has been suspended for at least 2 games due to flashing a gun on an Instagram live and various other issues.
This isn’t the first time Ja Morant has headlined contentious news. The first time came when allegedly threatened a Finish Line security guard and said “let me find out what time he gets off.” In terms of controversy, this isn’t as bad as it could get because Morant’s actions were dictated to the protection of his mother.
The second time came on July 26, 2022, when Morant was hosting a pickup game at his house with local high school players. Things got heated when one of the players threw a hard pass at Morant’s face which was then followed by his attacking the high schooler and punching him in the face. This story was quickly dismissed, however, because it was said that Morant was acting in self-defense and that the high schooler threatened to “light his house.”
Again in February of 2023, Morant was involved in more negative news, with the Indiana Pacers team reporting that they were confronted threateningly by Morant’s accomplices. It was even said that a laser, coming from Morant’s car, was pointed at one of the Pacers players. The NBA attempted to conduct an investigation, but the lack of evidence lead to it being dropped. Despite all of this, Morant still showed no remorse and said tweeted that it was “unbelievable.”
Now, with the flashing of a gun on Instagram live, Morant has now solidified his stance on all of the controversy, essentially saying that he doesn’t care. This strictly goes against NBA guidelines and led to his 2 game suspension. However, as the investigation continues, it’s being reported that Morant may have brought the gun on the team airplane which is very much against the NBA’s liking. A violation of the rules like this usually costs the players a 50+ game suspension, which would end Morant’s season.
What does this all mean?
All of this only shows Ja Morant’s true character and the persona that he trying to display. Despite making it out and being a young star in the NBA, he still wants to stay involved with the off-the-court games and act like someone who he isn’t.
These types of actions should not be promoted, especially by an NBA player who many look up to. For him, it might just be a little game, but to those young kids in struggling cities, this is their real life. If you were to ask any of those kids whether they would rather be in their current position or switch lives with Morant, I’m sure all would choose the latter.
The only way it seems that Morant would ever truly learn his lesson would be through a lengthy suspension. Although it might reduce the number of viewers, this action would show that the NBA is not willing to comply when it comes to promoting gun violence.
What do you think of this situation? Should Ja Morant be punished and what actions should the NBA take? Let me know your answers in the comments.
