This week, the NBA finally revealed the length of Ja Morant’s suspension after his latest instance of flashing a gun on Instagram Live. In light of a full investigation, the NBA ruled that Ja was in the wrong once again and he will be required to serve a 25-game suspension when the new season kicks off in October.
The ruling got mixed reactions from the NBA community, who have been pretty harsh overall on Ja’s latest controversy. Speaking on First Take Friday morning, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was the most recent big-name media voice to offer his take on the situation.
“Ja Morant, nobody believes you, bro. Nobody believes you. I don’t say that flippantly. I’m a fan of Ja Morant, but the fact of the matter is the reason why you’re not believed is that you already lied. What your agent just said sounds similar to what you said on camera months ago with your first suspension. Ja Morant has to understand: you’re not believed, nobody believes a thing that you’re saying right now. You really are at a show and prove point. We know what you can do on the court. Now it’s a show and prove element when it comes to your character.”
.@stephenasmith reacts to Ja Morant's statement on his suspension. pic.twitter.com/fEH8y3RkCx
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 16, 2023
Morant did release a statement after his suspension was released, but it’s clear that neither the fans nor the media were very impressed by it. At this point, the only way for No. 12 to repair his reputation is by staying out of trouble and leading the Grizzlies to some type of playoff success.
Ja Could Lose Up To $50 Million
The penalty for Morant isn’t just about missing time on the court. Due to his antics, Morant has already cost himself millions and is set to cost himself millions more next season as he serves out his suspension.
“This has been extraordinarily penal to Ja [Morant] from a financial standpoint,” Brian Windhorst said on First Take. “I will guesstimate that he is looking at at least $50 million in losses because he is going to face the no pay of these 25 games, and no pay for the eight games that he missed last year…”
These scandals are really starting to add up for Morant, who is currently keeping his head down amid rising criticism. While his career is far from over, the trajectory this is going is far from ideal for the young point guard, and he needs to do everything he can to redeem himself and his image.
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