"It's time for Ja Morant to grow up!" - Charles Barkley highlights Grizzlies star's $231 million deal, responsibility being one of the league's faces
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is one of the latest to comment on Ja Morant’s situation with the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis suspended Morant for two games following his Instagram post where he shared a video of himself carrying a gun.
The NBA All-Star guard will not be playing in the Grizzlies’ next four games to start the process of “healing.” While some have trolled him for his latest gun-related incident, a few have come out to offer him words of advice.
Here’s Charles Barkley on the Morant situation:
“To have one of our brightest stars have three gun incidents, like, one gun incident is one too many. Three is way over the limit.
“It’s time for Ja Morant to grow up. Next year, his new deal kicks in for five years $231 million. Man, you can’t screw this up. You’re one of the best basketball players we’ve got in this league.
"You’re one of the new faces of our league. Everybody love the way you play. You’re acting like a damn fool and idiot."
Chuck: "It's time for Ja Morant to grow up." https://t.co/IIBR0vR5Pc
Earlier this year, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies had a testy encounter with the Indiana Pacers. Morant's father, Tee, and Davonte Pack, a close friend, had a verbal tussle with several Pacers players.
Pack was eventually forced out of the game to avoid any confrontation.
Reports emerged a day after the incident of a "red laser" coming from an SUV with Morant in it, pointing at a traveling Pacers group.
Morant responded to the accusation with this:
"All that stuff, pretty much false. It's been proven. That's all I've got to say on it.
"I'm protecting my energy. Not responding to nobody else. Not entertaining nobody else."
Ja Morant addressed a reported postgame confrontation between Pacers players and his friends:
"All that stuff, pretty much false. It's been proven. That's all I've got to say on it."
"I'm protecting my energy. Not responding to nobody else. Not entertaining nobody else." https://t.co/fRbcnKok8D
"G12" was later accused of punching a 17-year-old during a pickup game. The incident allegedly happened this past summer. Morant told the police during the investigation that he was defending himself.
Ja Morant reportedly had his hand on a gun, which was hidden at the waist of his pants. The Morants insisted that the lawsuit filed against the NBA superstar was simply to get money.
The mother of the alleged victim supposedly asked Morant $20 million to drop the lawsuit.
Ja Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies for brandishing a gun
The Memphis Grizzlies hold a 39-26 record, which puts them in second place in the Western Conference. However, they are just 12-21 away from the FedEx Forum, which prompted Steven Adams to call out their road discipline.
Adams reportedly led a players-only meeting heading into their game against the Denver Nuggets on March 3 in Colorado. Despite Morant's 27 points and 10 assists, the Memphis Grizzlies were handily beaten 113-97.
Ja Morant spent the night partying at a nightclub after the loss. A video showing the superstar point guard toting a gun quickly went viral.
Morant admitted he was at fault after the Grizzlies suspended him for two games. Fortunately, he didn't get a 50-game suspension from the NBA and the Glendale, Colorado police did not file charges.
"There's not a definitive timeline... this is going to be an ongoing healing process... it's not a timetable situation"
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins on when Ja Morant will return to the team
(via @MarkG_Medina)
https://t.co/MkjPEIDxnO
Hopefully, the two-game suspension and several days of a "healing" period will straighten him out. The Memphis Grizzlies are hoping to finish the regular-season with at least a top-four finish. They need Ja Morant to accomplish that.