Ja Morant has found himself in the middle of controversy once again after flashing a gun on Instagram Live. Morant is currently serving a suspension from the Memphis Grizzlies, but many want the punishment to last for the entirety of next season.
But does the severity of Morant’s punishment has anything to do with his race? Well, Stephen Jackson certainly believes that. Jackson pointed this out by comparing how the league handled former Clippers player Chris Kaman flaunting assault rifles and snipers on social media on different occasions from 2012 to 2016.
“It’s cool when they do it it’s a prob when I do it. Wrong is wrong but hey if you 23 rich and black you dead wrong.”
Jackson openly claimed that Ja Morant is being held to different standards because he is black. On the other hand, Chris Kaman, who brandished guns on three separate occasions didn’t receive even a single minute of suspension.
When he received some backlash for comprising the two situations, Jackson explained the reasoning behind his post by posting a video on the NBA’s double standards.
“A lot of y’all don’t have no comprehension. My brother died, I called Ja to call my little nephew because my nephew want to be just like him. Ja called him, showed him some love. I want him to be like Ja, but I don’t want my little nephew to be holding guns and thinking holding guns is cool. So Ja deserves all the punishment he’s going to get. All that. He has to be held accountable. But we have to make it make sense.
“ESPN and it was a couple of games when the Memphis Grizzlies were coming out and they playing these same songs, making the gun signs to the cameraman marching out, getting ready to play game, and it was all cool. The NBA, every event, you have these same rappers rapping these same lyrics about guns and shooting at all your events. Just make it make sense. That’s all I’m saying. Yes, Ja need to be held accountable. Holding guns and all that is not cool. I don’t do it. I don’t stand by it. I don’t support it. But at the same time, make it make sense. That’s all I’m saying.”
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) May 17, 2023
One huge difference in both situations is that Kaman was holding guns in shooting ranges, gun stores, and his home. On the other hand, Ja was brandishing guns in public.
Additionally, it’s still unclear whether Morant was wielding guns in a state where it’s illegal. After all, there are many states in America where it’s not a criminal offense to carry a gun with a license.
Elton Brand Said It Was A Double Standard Back Then In The NBA
Chris Kaman’s pictures date back to 2012, 2013, and 2016. Although social media existed, it wasn’t as prominent as it is today.
Either way, former NBA player Elton Brand called out the league’s double standards in an interview with The Denver Post. Brand revealed that being a black guy if he had posted images on Twitter with guns, the NBA would have handled the situation much differently than how they dealt with Kaman.
“I remember Chris Kaman…when I played with him…was a big gun advocate. He had all types of guns. AR 15’s. He goes hunting. He has big guns. Twitter pics of guns. If I took a Twitpic of a gun it would be a different story, so I think we should show both sides.”
It’s still unclear if Kaman has a license for his guns. After all, it is possible to get a hunting license even without getting a firearms license.
Chris Kaman On Gun Control Proposals
It’s abundantly clear that the former NBA All-Star loves to carry guns for hunting purposes.
In 2013, Kaman shared his thoughts on gun control proposals. He believed banning to own guns completely was equivalent to ignoring people’s rights.
“They’re trying to ban all this stuff, and I just don’t understand it all,” Kaman said, per The Dallas Morning News. “What about people’s rights? At one point, we started letting women vote, OK, it changed people’s rights. Now we’re letting gay — we’re letting homosexuals get married. They’re making more rights for more people. So why all of the sudden are we taking away the right for people to own guns?”
Kaman further explained that he has always been a huge advocate for gun control proposals but within reason.
“Listen, I’m just saying, I’m a big time advocate for gun control, all that. But it’s got to be within reason. You don’t just kill the whole deal.”
He added: “I think it’s important. You can’t just sell anything to anybody. There’s got to be some kind of rules. There’s got to be better background checks. I agree with all that. The magazine thing, I’m OK with them changing the magazines down to even five rounds. But to outrightly just ban the whole setup? You know how many people have assault rifles in this world? It’s unbelievable.”
It’s clear where Kaman stands on banning guns. The former German-American athlete revealed that it was unbelievable to outrightly ban the entire setup.
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