Ja Morant’s Gun Videos Clash with NBA’s Gun Safety Advocacy

By: Andrew Tao

The United States has a massive gun violence problem and this problem has also affected the NBA. Ja Morant, an NBA player for the Memphis Grizzlies, was suspended for 25 games on June 9 after waving a gun around in a social media video.

Morant is a 23-year-old point guard. He has 12.5 million followers across TikTok and Instagram. According to landofbasketball.com, Ja Morant has played 4 season of the NBA and has won All-Star Twice.

The NBA has always been particularly fraught on the topic of gun violence. Many people have spoken about gun safety in the NBA. For example, the Golden State Warriors met with officials at the White House for a panel on gun violence. While Morant didn’t break any of the NBA’s rules since he didn’t bring a firearm to the locker room, his carelessness has threatened to undermine the NBA’s efforts against gun violence.

After the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, NBA teams in the playoffs displayed messages that urged fans to ask their political representatives to pass common sense gun safety resolution.

“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning,” said N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver. He also said that the ban was to show that reckless behavior with firearms will not be tolerated.

Tamika Tremaglio, the executive director of the NBA players’ union, stated that Morant had shown remorse and that the punishment was excessive.

This is not the first time that Morant has been suspended from the NBA. In early March, Morant was suspended for “live streaming a video on Instagram as he laughed and brandished a firearm in a nightclub near Denver after a game,” according to a New York Times article.

After Morant got suspended, it seems like he has shown remorse. On June 9, he made a statement to his fans. “To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model,” he said. “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.”