Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies leaves the court after Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)125-85
*Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is reportedly facing a long suspension after flashing a gun on Instagram Live — again.
According to TMZ, Nike has pulled Morant’s signature shoes from its app and website. On April 19, the Ja 1 went on sale and became an instant success, CBS Sports reports.
Morant signed a multi-year deal with Nike in May 2019, but his endorsement could be at risk due to his recent activity on social media. In March, he flashed a pistol inside a Denver strip club. Most recently he was seen holding a gun on Instagram live.
The 2x All-Star was suspended for eight games after the March incident. He later spoke about the controversy in an interview with Jalen Rose.
Ja Morant’s “Hunger Ja 1” sneakers are no longer listed on the Nike or Finish Line apps which were expected to be released on May 25th 😳 pic.twitter.com/fRsneLLUwp
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 18, 2023
Their conversation came amid reports that Morant had checked into a counseling program to “work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
When asked about the gun incident in the strip club, Morant said the gun was not his, The Source reports.
“The gun wasn’t mine. It’s not who I am. I don’t condone any type of violence, but I’ve taken responsibility for my actions. But in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about, and change this narrative that everybody got,” he told Jalen.
“Obviously, he said things I need to be better at, but more of just showing his support towards me. I accepted that, and I also sent my apologies to everybody—to the league, myself, my teammates, my family for putting that negativity towards all of us with a bad decision,” Morant added.
Morant went on to apologize for his wild off-court antics.
“I used that as an escape, which I shouldn’t have. I feel like that’s the reason I made many bad decisions in my past, which doesn’t pretty much describe me, doesn’t describe Ja as a person. I’m a totally different person than what’s been shown in the media. That’s my job now. That’s why I took that time away, to become a better Ja, so everybody really can see who Ja really is and you know what he’s about.”
READ MORE: Kwame Brown is Trending After Calling Ja Morant ‘NBA DUMB Boy’ | WATCH
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