Once again, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant put himself in an image-damaging situation. This week, Morant received another suspension from the team after flashing a firearm on a friend’s Instagram Live.
While critics such as The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne Tha God and former NBA player Kwame Brown slammed Ja Morant for his behavior, Memphis-bred rapper BlocBoy JB showed support for the 2-time All-Star.
“Guns are not illegal,” wrote “Look Alive” hitmaker BlocBoy JB on Instagram. “If he turnt in his car [with] his gun [that’s] in his name, in his yard, and somebody recorded him, [that] ain’t on him. Free Ja.”
BlocBoy JB’s comments about his hometown’s pro basketball star probably would not sit well with Fox Sports 1’s Shannon Sharpe. The 3-time Super Bowl champion called out people sticking up for Morant.
“I’m mad, I’m upset, I’m disgusted by the people that defended [Ja Morant],” said Shannon Sharpe on Monday’s episode of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed. “Because that’s what got us here.”
Back in March, Ja Morant recorded himself inside a Colorado nightclub brandishing a gun. He supposedly entered a counseling program before meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
The NBA suspended Morant for eight games without pay for the incident in Colorado. The 23-year-old athlete from South Carolina then did an interview where he discussed taking responsibility for his actions.
“I realize what I have to lose, and for us as a group, what we have to lose. It’s pretty much just that being more responsible, more smarter, and staying away from all the bad decisions,” said Ja Morant at the time.