By: Jy Hung Ong

In May, Ja Morant, a young star in the Memphis Grizzlies, was suspended from 25 games for releasing a video of Ja Morant recklessly waving a gun around. This occurred while the United States has struggled with gun violence.

At 23 years old, Morant is a point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies and has more than 12.5 million followers on Twitter and Instagram. However, he has used his prestige to promote actions that even he considers harmful.

The N.B.A wants to be seen as a progressing association, especially in terms of gun violence. Lebron James and Stephen Curry have spoken with the White House about Morant. It does not seem like Morant has broken the N.B.A.’s rules with his videos — unlike two players who brought a gun in the locker room in 2010. However, the young star has compromised the N.B.A.’s efforts in gun violence.

“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning,” Adam Silver, the N.B.A.’s commissioner said. Additionally, he included that the length of Morant’s suspension was meant to show that “engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”

However, others argue that the N.B.A.’s punishment for Morant was quite harsh. Journalists Sopan Deb and Tania Ganguli wrote in an article for New York Times that “Tamika Tremaglio, the executive director of the N.B.A. players’ union, said in a statement Friday that Morant had shown remorse and that the punishment was ‘excessive and inappropriate.’” She added that the union would ‘explore with Ja all options and next steps.’ The N.B.A. said it had suspended Morant for conduct detrimental to the league.

Morant has a history with taking videos of himself with a gun. Last March, he live-streamed a video of himself wielding a weapon in a nightclub near Denver after a basketball game. He apologized soon after and went to a health facility in Florida to help manage his stress.

Kris Brown, the president of Brady, a nonprofit dedicated to stopping gun violence, said she thought it was “appropriate” for the N.B.A. to punish Morant for brandishing a gun. “Firearms may be a tool in some instances, but they can also kill, maim, and injure other people if not handled and stored properly. 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,” she said.

Morant said that he wanted to apologize to the N.B.A. and hoped he could make it up to them.

“To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise,” he said.