Tag: Ja Morant

Memphis young star Ja Morant repeated the mistake that got him suspended in the first place—flashing a gun.

On Sunday, May 14, 23-year-old Morant was seen with the friend who also got him suspended—Davonte Pack. The NBA star and Pack got sued by a teenager for assault, which stemmed from a pickup basketball game.

With issues like receiving an eight-day suspension and losing $669K, and possibly losing his endorsements, it was expected that Morant might have been enlightened.

Unfortunately, he did not.

His claim that he would “take” some time away from basketball and work on his attitude did age really well.  It was rumored that he took a counseling program in Florida to help him deal with his issues.

But after getting suspended on March 4 of 2023, he was back again on the court, helping the Grizzlies win games. It only took ten days for him to get “better.”

Because of this “hastiness,” he is now again in trouble. For the second time, Morant was caught with a gun while in a live Instagram video, all while listening to NBA YoungBoy’s latest album. 

His first gun-related issue may have been slightly dismissed and was given another chance for redemption. However, the ‘immaturity’ Ja Morant continues to have will not allow him to leave his situation unscathed.

Will Nike Hit Pause?

Giant athletic shoes and apparel company Nike previously stood by Ja Morant’s earlier infraction. But it seemed like their hopes that the young star would come to his senses are crushed.

His $35.5 million multi-year Nike shoe deal might be in jeopardy. As of this moment, Nike has yet to release a statement anew.

But according to Syracuse professor of sport management Rick Burton, it seemed the company is still figuring out its next move after this fresh gun incident.

“I’m sure the people at Nike are trying to figure [it] out,” he said. “‘Does this make him more relevant to a certain audience? And is this something we’re going to ride out?’”

Also, it is known that Nike does not give up easily. But Morant’s other deal, Powerade, was quick to save themselves from embarrassment and may back out any time soon.

In his first offense, Powerade quickly pulled out their commercial with Morant. In his second offense, the company revealed that although they have a multi-year endorsement deal with the problematic NBA star, it has no “Ja-related content running.”

His team, the Grizzlies have already suspended Morant from all team activities “pending League review.”

What Awaits Ja Morant

Now that Ja Morant committed the same mistake twice, The Commercial Appeal recently had a sit down with beat writer Damichael Cole and sports columnist Mark Giannotto to talk about the consequences of Morant’s latest misstep.

According to Giannotto, since the gun-related issue of the NBA player is not a legal one, the league may reprimand him through his contract. The sports columnist stressed that Morant violated the ambiguous conduct included in the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

If NBA commissioner Adam Silver listens to the clamor of the many, Morant may be slapped with a longer suspension. It could even be for an entire season—if Silver will be stern about the punishment of the stubborn Grizzlies star.

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Throughout the history of the NBA, lawbreaking players have believed they could get away with anything just because they were “athletes.”

Players like Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant thought they were above the law. Morant, 23, was recently accused of assaulting a minor and threatening a security guard. He then followed it up with illegal possession of firearms in Denver.

But, like any action, there are repercussions. The NBA is stringent regarding players bringing weapons inside team facilities and on team flights. Hence, the 23-year-old 2020 Rookie of the Year was suspended for at least 50 games. 

Apart from his suspension, he could also face legal consequences. The city Morant was in, Denver, prohibits carrying firearms or assault weapons.

The Grizzlies star may have ruined his career because of how irresponsible his recent actions were. But other players also gave the NBA and OKBET pundits headaches. Without further introduction, here are lawbreaking NBA players.

Kyle Lowry

Starting off this list is the 2019 NBA champion Kyle Lowry. Before he could have that ring, Lowry was a lawbreaking Raptors star.

In 2012, he was arrested for a misdemeanor battery charge. It happened amid the NBA lockout while Lowry played a pick-up game with other professional players in Las Vegas, Nevada. When things got heated, and calls did not go his way, he verbally assaulted female referee Infini Robinson. Lowry also threw a basketball at her.

Referee Bobby McRoy described Lowry as a player with “rage issues.”

“Lowry was abusive with him as well and believes that he has an anger problem. He said during the game, Lowry was verbally combative and confrontational to the victim leading up to the incident where he battered her twice with basketballs,” McRoy said to Bleacher Report.

For his behavior, he was slapped with two counts of battery and was required to complete 100 hours of community service. Lowry was also ordered to see a therapist for his “impulse-control management.”

Sam Cassell, Gary Payton Sr, and Jason Caffey

Former Milwaukee Bucks teammates Sam Cassell, Gary Payton Sr, and Jason Caffey ganged up a male and female stripper outside a strip club. Cassell was charged with two counts of assault, Payton with three counts, and Caffey with one.

The altercation happened after one of the Bucks argued with one of the women. The woman’s boyfriend came over to help, which led to the assault.

Who would have thought that three Bucks could be Lawbreaking NBA players?

Chris Anderson

The Birdman was just making a name for himself in the NBA when he was caught doing something terrible—drugs. Hence, he was suspended for two years.

But the NBA is not that cold-hearted. Anderson was given another chance, and in 2008, he was allowed to return to the league.

Although part of the lawbreaking NBA players, his story was inspirational. He was able to redeem himself after hitting an all-time low. Birdman made his mark by being ranked as the second-leading shot-blocker, averaging 2.5 blocks per game.

Carmelo Anthony

Melo, a Nuggets superstar then, was apprehended by the police for suspected driving under the influence (DUI) back in April 2008.

The then-Nuggets star was weaving and failed to dim his lights, resulting in him being pulled over. Anthony failed the sobriety tests and thus was slapped with a DUI charge.

But that was not the only instance where Anthony broke the law. He was also caught speeding in Colorado earlier in February of that same year.

Kendrick Perkins

Ironically, Perkins set a “good” example to the kids he was helping after he was arrested in Beaumont for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

The incident also happened during the 2011 NBA lockout. Perkins was outside The Ticket nightclub when he fought the club’s manager. After getting booted out of the establishment, the now-retired NBA star shouted obscenities. He also fought other people.

Delonte West

The former Golden State Warriors had an encounter with the police when he pulled a GTA on them back in 2009. West’s initial violation was speeding, but when authorities searched his car, they found a 9mm pistol, a .357 magnum, and a shotgun inside a guitar case. 

West was slapped with two gun charges and was on house arrest for eight months. He also underwent two months under probation and did 40 hours of community service.

On October 15, 2022, West, who was no longer in the NBA, was arrested again for entering a vehicle he did not own. He also committed public intoxication while fleeing state forces.

Darren Collison

Darren Collison had an outstanding career with the Sacramento Kings. However, one incident caused him to miss the first eight games of the 2016-17 NBA season.

Collison was arrested due to domestic violence that caused injuries. He was also slapped with battery charges.

He was in prison for 20 days and did 20 hours of community service. The Ex Kings player was also ordered to attend a domestic abuse program.

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At the start of the season, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies were confident they would come out at the top of the Western Conference, but it all changed, especially after the NBA trade deadline reached its conclusion.

In a previous interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, the all-star point guard boldly claimed that no team, except the Boston Celtics, posed any threat to them. They were “fine” in the West, he said.

Malika Andrews: "Who do you look at around the league as you're studying and say, 'We're gonna have to run through them?'"

Ja Morant: "The Celtics"

"No one in the West?"

"Nah, I'm fine in the West."pic.twitter.com/2iYrc4AxIG

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 21, 2022

He also doubled down on his remark. Morant was confident that the Celtics would be their “biggest test.”

Even if he was asked numerous times, the young all-star asserted them as the “top dog” in the West, shrugging off the NBA ‘21-’22 champions, the Golden State Warriors.

Ja Morant was asked about his “I’m fine in the west” comments at shootaround.

Ja: “And I’m standing on that. I stamp it,” he said.

Reporter: What about the Suns?

Ja: “They are in the Western Conference, right? I said I was fine in the Western Conference.”

— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) December 23, 2022

With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving going to the West, can Morant still be “chill?”

Well, it was up to New Orleans Pelicans guard and NBPA president CJ McCollum to throw some diss at Morant.

This all because @JaMorant said he was good in the West 😂😂😂

— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) February 9, 2023

The Threats

Ja Morant and the Grizzlies stood as the No. 2 seed in the West, 33-21. But after losing eight of their ten games, they are now two games ahead of the Sacramento Kings (31-23). Their rivals in the conference are also preparing, and the names Durant and Irving are all the rave.

Durant averages 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season. His previous teammate, Irving, is performing in a 27-5.1-5.3 night in, night out.

Both are expected to disrupt the balance in the West, especially with the season reaching its final leg before playoffs begin.

The Suns (30-27) have become a much bigger threat, thanks to the addition of Durant. With Chris Paul and Devin Booker, the No. 6 in the West have formed a superteam of their own.

Paul will make the plays with his 8.7 per game assists, while Booker runs the offense with an average of 26.8 points. 

They also have a reliable DeAndre Ayton in the five. He can both score and crash the boards.

Over at Dallas (31-26), Luka Doncic got some help from Irving. Before Uncle Drew switched teams, it was Luka carrying his team to the fourth seed of the Western Conference. The Grizzlies will be in trouble once they face the Mavs on March 11.

They can no longer disregard the Los Angeles Clippers as well. Kawhi Leonard is playing again, helping Paul George in scoring. Moreso, Eric Gordon has joined the Clippers, which will be an evident danger to the Grizzlies come playoff time.

Don’t Forget the Warriors

Although Stephen Curry will be missing a few weeks due to a leg injury, the Warriors are still terrifying. Jordan Poole is improving incredibly, while Jonathan Kuminga is getting better at shooting the three-ball.

Klay Thompson, on the other hand, finally got his rhythm back. In his last two outputs, against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers, he contributed 42 and 32 points, respectively.

Ja Morant and the Grizzlies lost to the Warriors in their last two meetings. Even if they called the Dubs core “old” and claimed they are “confident” in the West, they still cannot defeat the West’s No. 9th seed.

What do you think OKBET players? Should Morant and the Grizzlies chill and believe that the Celtics are the only threat? Or should they start worrying about the other teams?

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