By: Olivia Ho
For the second time, Ja Moront ,an NBA player for the Memphis Grizzlies was caught on video waving a gun. This incident has caused him to be suspended from playing for 25 games.
Moront modeled bad behavior, which he has acknowledged.
In the past, the N.B.A has taken a firm stance on gun safety, with many coaches and players like Stephen Curry speaking about gun safety. In 2015, the N.B.A. worked with Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that supports gun safety legislation. They made commercials with star athletes and shooting survivors to discuss gun violation. After the shooting at Robb Elementary last May, N.B.A. teams also displayed messages at the arena asking fans to recommend their political representatives to pass “common sense” gun safety legislation.
While Ja Moront did not break any NBA rules by waving the firearm on social media, his carelessness presented a potential threat to the league’s reputation and ideology.
“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning,” said N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver. He later said, “engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”
Ja’s first infraction was in March. He livestreamed a video of him waving a gun at a club after a game. Then he said that he checked into a health faculty in Florida to deal with stress.
His behavior in March suspended him from eight games. Tamika Tremaglio, the executive director of the N.B.A. players’ union described Ja Morant’s punishment as, “excessive and inappropriate.”
On May 13, one of Morant’s friends livestreamed a video of Ja Moront again waving a gun, but in a vehicle. The Grizzlies suspended him indefinitely and Kris Brown, the president of Brady, thought that the punishment for Ja Morant was “appropriate” for his actions.
Kris Brown also stated, “Public figures have a responsibility to be held accountable for how they engage on these kinds of life-and-death issues. It’s not a small thing. People could die if they handle firearms in such a cavalier way, and they do every day.”
Before Ja’s infractions, the most significant situation surrounding guns that has taken place in the NBA occurred in 2010 when two players, Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, threatened each other with guns in the locker room.
Arenas was suspended for 12 more games than Crittenton because he made gun gestures during a game in attempt to make light of the situation.
“I think it affected — I don’t even want to say legacy — my name,” Arenas told The New York Times. “It affected it really bad. I said it back then, where the most disappointing part of it all is I did 100 things right. I did one wrong thing and that’s all everyone remembers. That’s what really hurts you the most.”
Other gun-related incidents earned lighter penalties like when Raymond Felton was suspended for four games in 2014 from felony gun possession.
While the NBA has been investigating Ja’s second video since mid-May, they are holding off on releasing their findings on the video until the playoff season.
Nike is supporting Ja Morant, aligning with their previous support of him in the aftermath of the first video. “We are pleased that Ja is taking accountability and prioritizing his well-being,” Nike said in a statement. “We will continue to support him on and off the court.”
“To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model,” Ja said. “I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”