Inside the Article:
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has been suspended for 25 games by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver this morning in the wake of a second incident of his brandishing a gun on social media. And if you’ll excuse me for saying this, that’s an incredibly weak punishment for a professional sports league that is allegedly trying to send the message of that kind of behavior being unacceptable.
Background: This is the 2nd incident with a gun from Morant
Just in case you aren’t familiar with the circumstances, Morant was suspended for eight games this past March after he filmed himself waving a gun at a Colorado strip club on Instagram Live. He would enter a Florida counseling program and then later meet personally with Silver at the NBA headquarters in New York.
“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous. It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him,” Silver said in his statement back in March. “He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior. Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court.”
It appeared as though Morant did not get the message that he must exercise better judgment, as he once again brandished a gun during social media live stream on May 1. He was placed on indefinite suspension by the Grizzlies while the NBA launched an investigation that concluded during the NBA Finals.
“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” Silver said in his latest statement. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.“
If the NBA wants to send a strong message, it failed
A 25-game suspension for an on-court incident would be a severe punishment for any player. However, the NBA could (and should) have sent a far stronger message to Morant that his behavior is not only reckless and irresponsible but potentially deadly. Given the fact that an eight-game ban apparently wasn’t enough to deter Morant from repeating the exact same action only a few months later, Silver should have dropped the hammer with a suspension of no less than half of the upcoming 2023-24 82-game schedule for next year.
It’s hardly a deterrent to current and future NBA players that irresponsibly brandish a firearm on social media for the entire world, which includes young fans who look up to professional athletes, to know that a mere 25 games will be the punishment.
Wrapping It Up: Will Morant learn his lesson this time?
We all know the saying “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”. Morant clearly didn’t learn from his first suspension of eight games.
Now that he’s received a near triple that original suspension, will he avoid that kind of reckless behavior in the future? He’s got a tough task ahead of him in repairing his damaged reputation, and we hope that the albeit extremely lenient 2nd suspension he’s received will serve as a deterrent from a third incident.
