“I made many bad decisions in my past” – Ja Morant reflects on his state of mind which led to involvement in gun incident
Ja Morant certainly wasn't left unscathed after his massive blunder on Instagram Live a few weeks ago. He was seen holding a gun in the video, which took place at a Denver stripclub. Morant is the face of the Memphis Grizzlies and has nearly nine million followers.
After a week of media scrutiny and criticism from his peers, the two-time All-Star sat down with ESPN's Jalen Rose for an interview. He discussed the IG Live video and the repercussions of his actions.
He wasn't going to double down this time. Morant accepted the blame and took responsibility. When asked about his state of mind during the stream, Ja Morant said:
"I pretty much just trying to be free. I use that as the escape which I shouldn't have. I feel like that's the reason I made many bad decisions in my past, which doesn't describe Ja as a person. I'm a totally different person than what's been shown in the media."
"That's my job now. That's why I took that time away to become a better Ja so everybody really can you know see who Ja really is and what he's about."
Ja Morant sat down with @JalenRose in an exclusive interview about the incident that led to his suspension and his path forward. https://t.co/t1WwL5dvrQ
Ja Morant denied that the gun was his but still took responsibility for his actions. He talked about doing meditation, reiki treatment, anxiety breathing treatment, counseling, therapy and more. He mentioned that he hasn't felt this mentally stable since his rookie season. When asked about the gun, the Memphis Grizzlies superstar responded:
"Well, the gun wasn't mine. It's not who I am. I don't condone any type of violence but I take full responsibility for my actions. Made a bad mistake and I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes."
"In the future I'm gonna show everybody who Ja really is. What I'm about and change this narrative that everybody got painted over me."
Ja Morant has been labeled a "thug," "fake gangster," and more by fans on social media. Many have pointed out that he didn't grow up in the "hood" and has never had that background. Yet he insists on having such an image.
He reportedly met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and was handed an eight-game suspension by the league. If he fails to make an All-NBA team this season, he will lose out on $30 million.
Ja Morant recaps his conversation with the NBA commissioner and talks about the Indiana red dot incident
Ja Morant's meeting with Adam Silver did not go smoothly. He had to face the reality that he is part of an organization that is worth billions of dollars. The league isn't going to tolerate his behavior. He was only suspended for eight games, but many believe it should have been longer.
Jalen Rose asked Morant how the meeting went, to which he replied:
"It was good. Pretty much an open discussion. Obviously he said things I need to be better at but more of just showing his support towards me and I accepted that. I also sent my apologies to everybody, the league, myself, my teammates, my family for putting that negativity towards all of us with a bad decision."
Grizzlies star Ja Morant was allegedly seen showing off a gun on his IG Live this morning.
https://t.co/HlhvoWlnYy
The gentleman's club that Morant visited was "Shotgun Willie's" in Denver. The image of him getting a "lap dance" with a ton of cash on the floor was not a good look.
He also addressed the incident after the Indiana Pacers game in January. The 23-year old was allegedly inside an SUV that threatened Pacers staff members by pointing a red laser at them. A Pacers security guard believed the red light came from a gun:
"Majority of the things that's happened in the past obviously I kind of put myself into by even being there. But all the incidents you've seen recently most of them, it's a line. I can't speak too much on those situations because all of them are sealed."
"But what I can say is…none of those are my character. I'm a big family guy. I always care for my family so it was just me checking on my family's safety. Once my family was safe, I left the scene."
Media members and former NBA players are pleading with him not to squander his career with poor decisions. He is the face of a major NBA franchise worth billions of dollars and could one day be the face of the league.
If he keeps associating with the wrong group of people, it could cost him his career and livelihood.