“I actually shot a gun at somebody when I was in the NBA” – Stephen Jackson admits his misdeeds as he defends Ja Morant
Ja Morant is back on the floor for the Memphis Grizzlies after being suspended for eight games following the incident where he showed off his gun on social media. Since he was disciplined, there have been mixed reactions from experts, current players and even former players, including Stephen Jackson, about the gun incident.
Jackson is known to be one of the toughest players to play in the NBA. He's also shown incredible loyalty to those he considers his close friends. In fact, he stood up for Metta World Peace back when the "Malice at the Palace" occurred. This time, he shared that he shot a gun while he was in the league, which is a step further than what Morant did.
"I actually shot a gun at somebody when I was in the NBA… I didn’t just show it, I actually shot it." Jackson said.
"When I got in trouble, I was with the Indiana Pacers. Donnie Walsh, Larry Bird, their organization. Yeah, we had conversations behind closed doors, but publicly, when people asked him about why did I run behind Ron [Artest] and help him in the stands, Donnie Walsh defended me and went to a situation when my older brother got killed and I was a couple of blocks away. You gotta understand me to know why I'm so loyal."
Stephen Jackson defends Ja Morant and claims to have gone further than Morant
“I actually shot a gun at somebody when I was in the NBA… I didn’t just show it, I actually shot it.”
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"But publicly? They never belittled me in any type of way! They stood behind me, ten toes. And I respected that because they didn't feed into what the media was saying, they knew the type of person I was."
Obviously, Jackson and Morant are different types of players. However, they both represented their organizations and were treated differently. The good thing is, the Memphis Grizzlies have now allowed the star point guard to play with the team and help end their season in a strong way.
You might also be interested in reading: Why did Ja Morant get suspended? A complete look back on controversy surrounding Grizzlies star
How was Ja Morant's first game back after his 8-game suspension?
Ja Morant was finally allowed back on the floor during their match against the Houston Rockets. He didn't start the game and opted to come off the bench for his squad as to not ruin the chemistry of the starting five. It was a smart and mature move on his part, which gave them the win.
Morant only played 23 minutes for Memphis and had 17 points, four rebounds and five assists. The All-Star guard shot 46.2% from the field and even had two steals in the game.
His first game back came with a win and it could be a good sign that they're ready for the postseason.
Also read: Tee Morant takes the blame for Ja Morant's predicament - "When I say I will die for my kids, I will die for my kids"