"I don't believe either of them are cowards" - NBA champion takes shots at Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks for avoiding media
Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks were both unavailable to the media following the Memphis Grizzlies' 117-111 overtime loss in Game 4 to the LA Lakers on Monday night. The Grizzlies, down 3-1 in the series, are on the verge of elimination.
On ESPN's "NBA Today," former NBA champion Richard Jefferson criticized Morant and Brooks for avoiding the media:
"You can't talk the talk and then not walk the walk. It's OK to make a mistake. It's OK to have a bad game and then go face it, 'cause when you win, everybody wants to talk when they win. They are sprinting to the podium. Everybody's up there. When you struggle, that's really where you show your true character.
"Dillon Brooks, as much as we crack jokes, I love his fire. I love the energy. ... If you're not going to talk to the media after two straight games, that, to me, is cowardice, and I don't believe either of them are cowards. I'm not saying that. I'm saying to avoid that smoke after talking the talk, you can't avoid the media.
"That's something, to me, I just can't get on board with. Stand there, say we've got to play better, but to have both guys, especially Dillon Brooks, that's just unacceptable."
Check out Richard Jefferson's comments on Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks below:
"You can't talk the talk and then not walk the walk. ... If you're not going to talk to the media after two straight games, that to me is cowardice. And I don't believe either of them are cowards."
—@Rjeff24 on Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks declining to speak with media https://t.co/vapxC1ncFy
It is unclear why Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks skipped out on postgame availability, however, neither played well.
Morant finished with 19 points, four rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block; however, he shot just 8-for-24 from the field, 1-for-6 from 3-point range and 2-for-4 from the free-throw line. Brooks had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 4-for-11 from the field, 1-for-7 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
Can Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies bounce back?
The Memphis Grizzlies are in a 3-1 hole to the LA Lakers with the series headed back to Memphis for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Grizzlies will face a nearly impossible task, however.
LeBron James has never lost any of the 16 series in which his team has gone ahead 3-1. Twelve of those series were closed out in five games, while the remaining four were closed out in six games.
While the Grizzlies were among the NBA's best teams during the regular season, they have had a tough time against the Lakers. Memphis has been unable to win any of the three games with star point guard Ja Morant in the lineup. Playing at home could increase their chances of extending the series to six games. However, it is unlikely that they will be able to reel off three straight wins.