ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith and former NBA player Jalen Rose offered their thoughts on the incidents surrounding Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant on the network’s NBA coverage.
In recent days, Morant has made headlines with rumors of threats to the Indiana Pacers and a leaked police report detailing how the star threatened a security guard at a mall and then repeatedly punched a 17-year-old.
Ever since they launched, Morant found himself in trouble celebrating a teammate’s shot by pretending to shoot him.
It all came to a head early Saturday morning when the Memphis guard took to his Instagram Live at a nightclub and appeared to display a gun. That led the Grizzlies to suspend him for at least two games, and saw Morant release a statement pledging to “take time out to get help.”
Smith and Rose drew on their experiences, as Smith covered for troubled star Allen Iverson and Rose admitted to doing similar things in her life, as they pleaded with Morant to seek reason and help.
Ja Morant appeared with a gun in an Instagram Live video early Saturday morning.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith (L) implored the Memphis Grizzlies star guard to “get it together,” while Jalen Rose (R) said fame could be a drug and believes Morant is now “in road” to recovery.
“I want to make sure that Ja Morant, his family, his friends and everyone understands that all of us here are fans of his, and whatever we say, me, Wilbon, Jalen Rose, Woj, anyone, we are saying it in the best interest of his future. ‘ Smith said.
“I covered Allen Iverson for the first 10 years of his career, every day. And when I tell you that he was a beat unto himself… It was a different level. But when you look at Ja Morant: The one thing I find incredibly alarming, there were so many things that Allen Iverson took a beating for that had nothing to do with him, but with the company he kept.
‘And because… from the street, very loyal, he is not tarnishing anyone. He takes a lot of hits. In this particular case, that’s Ja in the movie. That’s what you see in the TMZ video.
‘He had no choice but to admit that, to be honest with you. So I applaud him for embracing that. But when you factor in the other incidents… You’re a superstar. You are 23 years old. You have a deal that goes into effect next year that could top $231 million over the next five years.
And in this national television show, you’re associated with the police. Think about that for a second and then ask yourself, is it really worth it? You know the answer to that, brother. That is not worth it.
You are a basketball superstar. You represent your organization. You represent your family. You represent your city. You have to be aware of all that. It is never off. And a lot of times we don’t tell these players this.
‘NBA has off-duty police officers. They have connections to the FBI. They got connections with the whole world. The NBA knows what you’re doing.
They know who you’re doing it with. They know where you are. They know how you behave at all times.
Smith also tried to talk to Morant’s friends and family, especially his father Tee.
Smith called them “good guys” with their “hearts in the right place,” but added: “You’ve got to step up and protect yourself and him by the way you behave.”
‘That laser that was supposedly pointed at the Indiana Pacers, you can’t have things like that coming. You can’t have things. And last but not least, his father to Tee Morant. Nothing but love and respect for you, sir. You are his dad, not his friend. her daddy
I’m not saying they can’t be friends, but you are their father. So when we see this kind of thing happen, you all band together. Because it’s not just a 23-year-old Ja Morant who needs to protect himself.
‘It’s all of you who love him, who want to protect him, who want the best for him. You have an obligation to see that he does.
Morant issued a statement saying that he will take time to receive help.
Hours before the game against the Rockets, a police report on Morant (L) was released
Morant played for the Grizzlies on Friday night in Denver, just hours before the IG Live clip.
After Smith spoke, Rose talked about Morant through his experiences growing up in Detroit and how he got out of trouble.
“I’m Ja Morant,” Rose began. ‘You get to see me grow for public consumption since 1991. I’ve been involved in drug busts. I have survived assassination attempts.
I’ve been that undisciplined young man who was trying to figure out how to be famous, how to be successful, and how to change my family dynamics.
“The only thing that young people have to understand, and in the case of Ja Morant, when you are first recruited, you go from being a family member, a crew member, to being the leader, to being the breadwinner of the family.
“And first of all, I hear a lot of people talk about their family and their team. When you’re the leader, it’s up to you because you end up looking for that lifestyle. You end up wanting to be down. And what I had to learn is that people come into your life for four reasons to add, subtract, multiply or divide. You have to choose wisely.
He has too much to lose. Trust me, I’ve been that young player carrying the gun… When you start waving it, that could get you killed. That’s… a completely different thing than what we’re talking about where a superstar athlete should get into position.
And as Stephen A mentioned, that’s him in the video on his IG live. There is no one to convince him. There is no one encouraging him to do that. That is a personal choice. And a lot of times guys, as I mentioned, fame can be a drug.
Morant has been making headlines with Smith and Rose begging Morant to get help.
“I don’t know what kind of pain he’s dealing with, or what kind of anxiety he has, or what kind of substances he may be using. I am glad in his statement that he recognized that I need to make changes for me. Because as a leader, as a breadwinner, you control the environment.
‘The people around you, you select them. And a lot of times, unfortunately… when we start getting fame, when we start getting money, we try to feel like we’re holding onto reality.
But you got it. And once you achieve that, your job is to elevate, to illuminate. And I’m glad this actually happened at this point in his life. He is a young man of 23 years. No one was arrested. No one was hurt.
And I hear too many stories about guns. Well? Supposedly with the 17-year-old boy, supposedly with the Indiana Pacers staff. Last night on IG Live, I watched the video as you guys saw him, brandishing the gun. The next step now is recovery. And I think he is on that path.
‘I’m happy he’s on that path. She’s going to come back and she’s going to be a better person. And because of everything that is happening, you will now be able to live to your full potential.