"He might not be mentally ready"- Gilbert Arenas has some concerns about Ja Morant taking over as the face of the NBA from LeBron James
Ja Morant is undeniably one of the most popular players in the NBA today. He's brash, he's talented, and he's literally a walking highlight reel. However, his stardom still isn't shining as bright, given that LeBron James is still the king of the league.
James' 20th season came to a close after getting swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets. At this point, everyone is expecting him to retire soon. The question on everybody's mind now is, who's next in line to become the face of the NBA?
Gilbert Arenas recently gave his thoughts on who could possibly replace LeBron James as the face of the league in his podcast "No Chill with Gilbert Arenas."
Arenas mentioned that Ja Morant might be the guy to represent the NBA once the "King" finally decides to give up his throne. Gilbert explained that Morant has the charisma and the explosiveness to always have fans on the edge of their seats.
“The only person who has the charisma, the style, is the one who’s getting in trouble," Arenas said "It’s Ja Morant. He's the only one with the style of play that will put people their seats. When you're talking about who's the face of the league, you're talking about someone who's airborne."
Arenas continued:
"He has the style, he has the look, it's just that right now he doesn't understand who he is and what is asked for him. He might not be mentally ready to take on that challenge."
“The only person who has the charisma, the style, is the one who’s getting in trouble. It’s Ja Morant… He might not be mentally ready.”
Gilbert Arenas thinks that Ja Morant could be the face of the NBA once LeBron James retires 🤔
(via @GilsArenaShow)
https://t.co/rnTR8wMxlb
Does Ja Morant deserve to be the face of the NBA?
Ja Morant is currently one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA. His success on the court makes him a good business prospect for the league. However, based on his recent antics, many believe that a guy like him should not represent the NBA. During the latter part of the 2022-23 regular season, Morant flashed a gun on his Instagram Live. He was then suspended for several games for inappropriate behavior outside the court.
Adam Silver specifically told Ja Morant to do away with that kind of demeanor. However, the Memphis Grizzlies star decided to do otherwise. After their first-round exit from the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Morant went live again on Instagram and, for no apparent reason, flashed a gun. Given how Ja can't even keep his word to the commissioner, becoming the face of the league is out of the question.
Unless Morant decides to shape up and become better as an individual, we don't see him representing the association anytime soon.