Yes Morant suspended for gun – NBA star jeopardizes his career

The 23-year-old is one of the best basketball players in the world, but controversy surrounding Ja Morant is mounting. He has now been temporarily suspended after pulling out a pistol in a live stream.

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A four-year NBA player, he was named Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, and was one of the top three players at his position last season. In short: Yes, Morant is one of the best basketball players in the world and is living the dream of almost every young person in the USA. Last summer, the 23-year-old Memphis Grizzlies guard signed a contract that will net him almost CHF 200 million in total, as well as a deal with Nike and his own shoe. But now he is in danger of losing everything.

After losing in Denver, Morant started a live stream on Instagram while he was at a nightclub. Among other things, he showed himself brandishing a pistol. The video excerpt quickly went viral – and required an immediate response.

“I’m going to take some time off to get help and work on better managing stress and my overall well-being,” Morant said in one Communication from his consulting agency quoted. The team initially suspended the big star for two games, but coach Taylor Jenkins said on Monday: “There is no clear timetable for his return. He knows he made some wrong decisions for which he now has to take responsibility.”

The Colorado police, where the incident occurred, have launched an investigation. The NBA itself also said it would take a closer look at the case. According to Liga-Insider Adrian Wojnarowski The main thing to clarify is whether it was Morant’s weapon and whether he had it with him during a flight with the team or even in the cloakroom. This would go against the agreement between the players’ union and the basketball league.

Memphis-Coach Taylor Jenkins mit Morant.Bild: www.imago-images.de

The incidents are reminiscent of the case of Gilbert Arenas, who admitted to keeping guns in the locker room during the 2009/10 season and even once aimed them at a team-mate who was also armed. Both then-Wizards pros were suspended for the remainder of the season. Whether Morant faces a similar penalty will depend on the results of the NBA investigation.

Not the first incident involving a gun

Another problem for Morant is that this isn’t his first controversy since he was drafted second to the NBA in 2019. As the Washington Post As reported just last week, the basketball star threatened a security guard at a Memphis mall last summer. One of his friends also hit the security chief in the head. This emerged from a police report, but no one was arrested.

A few days later, Morant and a friend then hit a 17-year-old boy several times during a basketball game in front of Morant’s house, the youth later reported to the police. The boy suffered a head injury, Morant spoke to the police of self-defense and later filed a complaint against the boy because he had threatened to “flare his house down like fireworks”. The victim of the attack, on the other hand, spoke of Morant briefly disappearing into the house, only to return with a gun in the waistband of his trousers, and in turn sued Morant. The procedure is still pending.

In a game against Indiana at the end of January, there were again unpleasant scenes. A friend of Morant’s was ejected from the stadium after stepping onto the field. However, he waited outside the arena and made threats towards some Indiana players and staff who were on their way to the team bus. Then, as Morant was driving away with his friends, someone pointed a red laser at some members of the Pacers, like The Athletic reported. They believed it was a weapon and believed they were in serious danger.

In neither case has Morant or his friends been proven to be actually handling a weapon. But the accumulation of allegations casts a bad light on the young star – especially in the context of the latest video.

Is Morant hanging out with the wrong people?

The other NBA players declined to comment “out of respect for Morant,” like Marc Spears bei ESPN told. Nevertheless, the incident was described behind closed doors as “stupid”, many would have wondered why Morant is doing something like this. One of the few to comment was Kyle Kuzma The Athletic. He spoke of the importance of having the right people around you: “When your friends are always saying ‘yes’ to everything you do and don’t let you be the best version of yourself it really true friends?”

Kuzma isn’t the only one to suggest that Morant needs to think about who he wants around him. Former professional footballer turned TV host Shannon Sharpe, who clashed with Morant and some of his teammates during a game, said in early February: “You’re not tough, it’s not your life. People would give anything to be in your position, and you want others to think you’re a gangster for associating with people like that.” Unlike many African-American US athletes, Morant does not come from a poor background and grew up with his younger sister in his parents’ house.

In terms of sport, Morant and his team are actually doing well – Memphis is in second place in the Western Conference.Bild: www.imago-images.de

This is one of the reasons why his behavior was met with incomprehension by many. Former basketball player Jalen Rose spoke ESPN However, knowing how difficult it can be to suddenly be in the spotlight as a young man: “Success can be like a drug.”

Especially with young people like Morant, this could lead to stupidity. But Rose also appealed to the basketball player’s common sense and responsibility. ‘You must be wise. You’ve decided to lose too much. If you brandish a weapon, you put yourself in danger. It can kill you.” Morant must control his environment – and use the break from the NBA and social media to rehabilitate himself to be able to reach his full potential.

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