By: Coco Xu
Memphis Grizzlies player Ja Morant, 23, was suspended for 25 games, about a third of the season, on June 16 for waving a gun in a social media video for the second time.
Morant is a point-guard for the Grizzlies, and has one of the most popular jerseys in the NBA along with a total of 12.5 million followers on Twitter and Instagram. He has used his growing popularity to model behaviors that even he agrees is “harmful.”
“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He says that the lengthened suspension was intended to show that “engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”
Seeing as Morant had taken responsibility for his actions, Tamika Tremaglio, executive director of the NBA players’ union, said that the punishment was “excessive and inappropriate.” The union would “explore with Ja all options and next steps,” she added.
In order to maintain its good reputation, the NBA has long been outward advocates for tighter gun restrictions. Many of its players and coaches have given speeches against gun violence. From what was seen in the videos, Morant did not break any NBA firearms rules, but his reckless behavior could harm the NBA’s image.
The first time Morant exhibited pro-gun behavior was in early March, when he live-streamed a video of him brandishing a gun near a nightclub in Denver. Afterward, the NBA had suspended him for eight games. The most recent incident, and the one that caused the 25-game suspension, occurred on May 13. A friend recorded him waving a gun while riding in a car. The Grizzlies had barred him from playing “indefinitely,” and Silver told ESPN that he was “shocked.”
Kris Brown, the president of Brady, an anti-violence nonprofit, said that she found Morant’s punishment “appropriate.”
“Firearms may be a tool in some instances, but they can also kill, maim and injure other people if not handled and stored properly,” Brown said. “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.”
The NBA had been investigating the second video since mid-May but postponed releasing their findings until after the finals.
Before Game 1 of the finals on June 1, Silver said that disclosing the results while the tournament was still ongoing would be “unfair” to the Nuggets and the Heat.
Additionally, the finals are an advertisement for the league. It simply would be detrimental to the NBA’s reputation if the results were announced in the middle of a final.
“You don’t want it to be the story that gets talked about during the finals,” said Lawrence Parnell, director of the strategic public relations program at George Washington University.
The Grizzlies said that they respected the NBA’s decision to punish Morant. “Our standards as a league and team are clear, and we expect that all team personnel will adhere to them,” they said.
In a statement on June 16, Morant apologized for his recklessness. “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 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.”
But doing so will prove to be a challenge.
“I think there’s an opportunity to have a positive story come out of this for the league and for Ja Morant,” said Parnell. “But going to counseling and doing a mea culpa is not going to make any difference in his reputation.”