Why was Carmelo Anthony suspended for 15 games? Exploring his 2006-07 ban in wake of Ja Morant gun incident
Ja Morant would do well to take a page out of Carmelo Anthony's book and change his habits off the court.
Morant has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late, and was recently handed a two-game suspension by the Memphis Grizzlies after flashing a gun on Instagram Live. Head coach Taylor Jenkins has stated that there is no clear timeline for Morant's return.
Currently, the NBA continues to investigate whether or not Morant brought a gun on the team plane while they traveled. If it's confirmed that he did, he could be facing a 50-game suspension. In the meantime, many have compared his situation to that of a young Carmelo Anthony.
During a game against the New York Knicks, Anthony, who was part of the Denver Nuggets at the time, punched Mardy Collins. Commissioner David Stern suspended the young star for 15 games.
After the incident, Anthony met with Stern, who gave him the ultimate 'get it together' speech. The NBA legend recalled the meeting in an interview with Andscape, saying:
“I go speak to him and say, ‘Why’d you do me like that?’. [Stern said,] ‘…Do you want to be in the streets, or do you want to be in the NBA? You’re f-—g with a corporation now… I know who you with. I know where you live at. I know when you close your eyes...’ …That’s when I knew the NBA was f—-g with the feds.”
According to Stephen A. Smith, the NBA is using its FBI connections to find out if Morant brought a gun on the team plane.
The Nuggets-Knicks brawl and the impact it had on Carmelo Anthony
After the Denver Nuggets-New York Knicks brawl, Carmelo Anthony took some time to reflect on his activities both on and off the court. At the time of the incident, he was leading the league in scoring; however, when the season came to a close, Kobe Bryant took the scoring title.
Prior to the incident, Anthony had been involved in a number of controversies, including an altercation at a club that saw men attempt to extort him. He was later caught boarding the Denver Nuggets team plane with a backpack of marijuana he claimed belonged to a friend of his.
The following month, Anthony once again made headlines for appearing in a video threatening snitches in his hometown of Baltimore. Then came the brawl that saw him punch Knicks guard Mardy Collins.
When Stern warned him that he knew exactly what Anthony’s friends were doing and told him to shape up, Melo knew something had to change.
As such, Ja Morant, who finds himself in a similar situation to Anthony all those years back, should take a leaf out of the former Knicks star's book and devote his time to developing on the court.