Ja Morant was once again in hot water with Instagram Live when he flashed a pistol. NBA commentators Stephen A. Smith and Jalen Rose expressed their disdain for his continuing behavior in the public eye.
During an ESPN interview on Sunday (May 14), Smith said, "I'm stunned." "It's all about trust," Smith said. "In NBA circles, this is a highly intelligent individual. "This is stupidity, and you know he's not stupid, so what would be the reason?"
The 55-year-old detailed everything that the Memphis Grizzlies point guard has ruined (or almost ruined) for himself, including being suspended for eight games during the regular season, putting himself in jeopardy with Nike and Powerade.
“This is self-inflicted,” the host of The First Take explained. “This isn't some TMZ report where something was discovered, no. The first time he was suspended that was only on his own Instagram account. This second time he's with someone and they literally go Instagram Live, so you're clearly not surrounded by individuals who are looking out for your best interest.”
Jalen Rose spoke more about the people Ja Morant surrounds himself with and how he is risking all of his livelihood. 'In times like this, people will blame the people around him or blame certain family members or certain friends, but those relationship dynamics change when you get hired.'
“These are your friends and family when you’re sitting at the draft; many times once you’re drafted, this is your staff. These are people who worked for you and helped you achieve your goal. Now you're trying to position them to maintain theirs.”
"So it's irresponsible," he said, "You have so much to gain yet so much to lose," and in particular, both times have been with guns, which are things you shouldn't be putting your hand down in any way.
On Saturday (May 13), Ja Morant was caught singing NBA Young Boy with one of his friends who broadcast live from his own account. The internet was able to obtain screenshots and screen recordings of the moment.
On Sunday morning, Shams Charania, a senior NBA insider for The Athletic, reported that the 2020 Grizzlies rookie of the year was suspended from all Memphis Grizzlies activities.
