Firstly, let me apologize. You may be thinking why apologize, you have nothing to do with this, but I feel like in a way I do because the day after is when the Ja Morant controversy happened. For those of you who haven’t read, I published an article praising Ja Morant. Just the day after, Ja Morant went on Instagram live in a strip club and showed himself holding a gun and ignited a firestorm across social media and the league.
Morant’s Controversy
I know Morant has pledged to get help and try to become a better person. I just can’t shake the feeling of Bearing some sort of “Responsibility“ over the events. And of course, it was the day after I published an article on this very website praising him for being a superstar in the league. When I first heard the news the next day, I laughed to myself because I thought of myself as a jinx. (This article is all tongue-in-cheek. Of course, I know I had nothing to do with this. I’m just playing around.)
On a serious note, I believe I believe that what Morant did is very stupid. Specifically, I wanted to focus on one thing, to be exact, the role model aspect of it all. Think about how many kids look up to NBA players daily, yes, I know to err is human, but you have a platform. Think about the millions of people that hang onto your every word. You’re showing those kids that it’s OK to go to a strip club with (presumably) a loaded gun on your person? This was an incredibly stupid and airheaded decision as you are a role model to millions, and so are your teammates around the league.
Grizzlie’s Perspective
Secondly, think about how bad, from an organizational standpoint, this is for the Grizzlies organization. Think about all the damage control they have to do to preserve the image of the organization. This might lead to distrust from fans, or fewer ticket sales (I’m just speculating) But it certainly wasn’t a good look for the organization just last week. Not to mention, you are also one of the faces of the organization. Your face is literally plastered everywhere, whether it be on social media or on posters around the city of Memphis. Not only has Ja done irreprehensible damage to his reputation, but also damage to the perceived image of the organization as a whole. Where families go to escape is now going to be associated with an organization that clearly lacks control and doesn’t monitor their players’ activity. I get that “he’s off the clock” but you are a celebrity with millions of followers, try to think more comprehensively next time.
To conclude, I’m going to close with a quote that I heard from former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal last night (March 7th) on TNT. He said: “You’re not a rapper, you’re an NBA player. Act like it.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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