"And so it begins": Ja Morant Powerade deal in jeopardy as brand deletes Instagram commercial
Ja Morant's recent behavior could have serious consequences for his financial situation. The Memphis Grizzlies guard recently signed a deal with Powerade, but it appears that the deal is in jeopardy.
The Coca-Cola Company, which manufactures Powerade, decided to remove a recent commercial featuring Morant. The company has also removed the superstar guard from its website and is slowly distancing itself from all the controversy that he's caused.
While Morant's contract with Powerade is currently unknown, he could lose a few million dollars if the sports drinks company terminates it. After all, he was supposed to be the new face of the drink.
Ja Morant's Powerade deal is in jeopardy and could cost him millions
Powerade decided to start a new marketing campaign in an attempt to gain a bigger market share. The company picked the Grizzlies guard as its new face, which with hindsight may have been the wrong move.
Morant is undoubtedly one of the best NBA players at the moment. However, his behavior off the court has been problematic, which is why it's no surprise that Powerade is doing some damage control.
Seems like Powerade is trying to bury its Ja Morant affiliation, removing him from their website & made that really cool ad ‘private.’ https://t.co/pG6UC6I2lW
Many agree with Powerade's decision to take down marketing material that features Ja Morant. The 23-year-old superstar allegedly flashed a gun in a live Instagram video, which is not something many brands want to be affiliated with.
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Morant's actions on the video, together with a slew of recent controversies, could cost him millions of dollars.
@morganjonfox They should. Toting guns on social media is bad business. Dumb move by a superstar athlete and endorser.
Some fans believe that the situation is simply sad. Morant is a fantastic basketball player, but it doesn't seem like he's able to handle all the pressure that comes with being a superstar.
@morganjonfox This whole thing is just so sad.
Unsurprisingly, many social media users posted memes regarding the situation involving Morant.
the NBA reading Shawn Kemp and Ja Morant their scripts https://t.co/Nx59vlCt39
It's important to note that Powerade has not terminated the deal with the former Rookie of the Year. Morant is currently away from the team, but may return in the second half of March.
Will Powerade terminate Morant's contract?
Ja Morant will miss at least three more games. Due to this, there is a chance that he will return on Saturday, March 18, against the Golden State Warriors.
The two-time All-Star also deactivated his social media profiles. While Powerade hasn't terminated his contract yet, this will likely happen if Morant keeps causing issues. For now, he seems safe.
While Powerade has removed the commercial with Morant, the company hasn't released any info regarding the partnership.
You may be interested in reading: NBA insider details potential financial effects of Ja Morant's gun incident: All you need to know
The new commercial was originally supposed to debut on March 14 during March Madness. However, the Coca-Cola Company may air a different commercial on this date.