“Whether or not he’s gonna be alive in 5 years” – Stephen A. Smith believes Ja Morant’s actions could put his life in jeopardy
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did not go into detail about the punishment for Ja Morant last night as he didn't want the attention to shift away from the NBA Finals.
However, in a recent interview, famed journalist Stephen A. Smith explored the future of the Memphis Grizzlies star in the league.
Morant has been caught by the league once more when he was seen flaunting a handgun during a session of Instagram Live. He was seen with a friend, and they were having fun singing along to music inside a car when the Grizzlies star suddenly lifted his hand and showed a firearm.
Following this, Smith shared that Morant's life could be put into jeopardy if he doesn't change:
"In terms of Ja Morant's behavior off the court, some of the things he finds himself engaged in, with the company that he keeps, with the establishments that he visits, things of that nature. Obviously, he feels compelled, pretty much all the time, to have a gun around him".
"A lot of players I know are from the streets, period. And I can tell you that people within the NBA community are not just concerned about Ja Morant playing basketball. They're concerned about whether or not he's gonna be alive in 5 years."
🗣️ @stephenasmith
What the #FirstTake host said to us Friday about the Ja Morant situation made us gasp and hope the #Grizzlies star gets his life back in line:
#NBA #NBAPlayoffs #NBATwitter https://t.co/xRT9qNRssd
"Because of the environments that he finds himself around and the situations he finds himself confronted by. It's a serious matter and it's something that I think that the NBA and everybody that knows anything about the kind of things that are going on with him finds themselves concerned about."
It may be a bit too much coming from Stephen A. Smith, but there's a looming possibility that it could happen. Morant's actions have given him and his team a ton of trouble, especially this season.
You might also be interested in reading this: “Nikola Jokic is on some all-time great stuff” – Draymond Green outlines key factor for Nuggets to clinch NBA Finals
Former NBA player suggests a change of scenery for Ja Morant
Former NBA star Kendrick Perkins has weighed in on the situation with Ja Morant on more than one occasion. This time around, he suggested that the All-Star point guard should leave Memphis and join a different organization if his questionable behavior keeps on getting him in trouble.
"If another incident like this happens ..." Perk said, "I'm ready to say right now that I think Ja Morant, it might be best for him to actually get out of Memphis and go to a different organization for his own well-being."
.@KendrickPerkins reacts to the latest on Ja Morant:
"If another incident like this happens ... I'm ready to say right now that I think Ja Morant, it might be best for him to actually get out of Memphis and go to a different organization for his own well-being." https://t.co/7TEuWpFmHi
It may be a bit too much for some fans, but having a change of scenery could allow Morant to grow and become a mature NBA star.
Also read: "It's not an exact science" - Adam Silver on how he and the NBA are looking at the Ja Morant situation