Ja Morant is reformed and has found his way back home and into the church, apparently. Morant reportedly is back in his native South Carolina and attended his local church to ask for forgiveness for his indiscretions potentially.
Since the fiasco in Denver, where Morant showed a firearm in the strip club on his Instagram Live, the young baller was reportedly staying in a small town over the weekend near where he grew up in South Carolina with a plan to reconnect with his family and his faith.
“Ja grew up in the church, and he knows that any time that he needs strength, he can turn to Jesus,” Media Takeout reported it was told by a person close to the Morant family.
Ja Morant Is Saved Again?
Morant is said to have walked humbly to the front of the small Southern church on Sunday and re-committed himself to the Christian faith. Additionally, reports began on Monday that this week Morant entered a rehab facility in Florida for treatment related to his drinking. If so, sources are placing Morant before the eyes of the Lord close to home on Sunday.
“Ja was never as bad as the media is making him out to be. Now that he sees the evils out there [in the media], he’s going to come back covered in the armor of Christ,” a female family member reportedly told Media Takeout.
At 23 years old, Morant is experiencing life on a level unheard of for most young adults in his age bracket. As the star of the Memphis Grizzlies and the face of the new NBA, transitioning from an average athletic 20-something to a global ambassador for multiple brands did not come with a manual. Ja also has moments where he is devoid of common sense.
FS1 analyst Slip Bayless gave Morant credit for recognizing “I need help” and stepping away from a basketball team that has championship aspirations to address his personal issues. “I’m applauding him” for taking that accountability knowing any chance of his team winning big now is over without him.
Morant has a signature shoe with Nike and became the first top prospect of the 2019 draft class to ink a shoe contract, signing a multiyear deal with Nike in May 2019. However, the apparel company said it would stick by its star amid the issues off the court.
“We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being,” Nike’s statement read via Shams Charania.
Ja Morant Loses Powerade Endorsement
His other major sponsor, Coca-Cola’s Powerade, pulled its ad campaigns featuring the star since the Memphis Grizzlies suspended him after he flashed a gun on social media. Powerade signed a multiyear deal with Morant earlier this month. He was scheduled to appear in television commercials, billboards, store displays, and events for Powerade’s relaunch ahead of March Madness. The campaign reportedly was to be the most significant marketing blitz in the brand’s 36-year history.
There has yet to be any word on when the Powerade deal will be restarted, just as there is no news on Ja’s date of return to NBA play.
Many NBA veterans have been critical and nurturing to Morant during this time, with some like Shaquille O’Neal wanting him to stop acting like a “rapper” to Jalen Rose, Paul Pierce, and Carmelo Anthony calling for understanding of a young man at the crossroads of fame and survivor’s remorse.
For now, Ja is comfortably tucked away in counseling, with no date of return to the hardwood, with his thoughts on the future and his past actions ruminating in his self-imposed retreat.
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