While the NBA celebrated many successes and a positive year in 2023, there were a few off-court incidents that brought unwanted attention to the league and some of its biggest stars.
3. Zion Williamson’s Romantic Relationship Issues
Normally what a player does in their personal and romantic lives, unless it involves a crime, is uninteresting and none of our business. But when it attracts a lot of negative public attention and can be the source of poor on-court performance, it must be discussed.
Over the summer Williamson held a gender reveal party with his girlfriend. Another woman he was seeing, OnlyFans model Moriah Mills, saw the gender reveal party pictures on the internet and proceeded to put all of Williamson’s business on front street.
Mills talked about his sexual proclivities and how he told her he didn’t want any kids. It got ugly.
She resurfaced after a string of poor play by Williamson in December and talked about his poor diet, his poor off-season workout habits. It’s a mess.
All of this has led to continued concerns about his lack of professionalism and now because of a clause in his contract, the final three years of his five-year, $200 million deal are non-guaranteed.
2. Ja Morant Suspended For 25 Games For Playing With Guns On Social Media
The truth is, the suspension of Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant was for more than playing with guns on social media.
Morant and his friends and associates have been involved in a number of incidents that brought negative attention to him, the Grizzlies and the NBA.
There was the mall incident where Morant and his associates allegedly threatened a mall employee.
There was the pickup game at his Memphis area home last summer where he knocked out a then-teenager. A civil case related to the incident is still pending.
In January of this year following a game against the Indiana Pacers in Memphis, where Morant’s father Tee and Ja’s friend Davonte Pack got into a verbal altercation with Pacers players on the floor during the game, the verbal altercation continued at the loading area at FedEx Forum, where the Pacers team buses were. Someone in Ja’s party allegedly flashed a red laser light on the Pacers’ traveling party. Members of the Pacers group reportedly thought it was attached to a gun and feared for their safety.
In March Morant was seen inside a Denver area strip club intoxicated and waving a gun, and it was captured on IG Live. He was suspended for eight games and went to a counseling program in Florida.
Morant has been back for three games and the Grizzlies are 3-0 and look like the team that was a top seed in the playoffs the last couple seasons.
Hopefully he has grown and this will all be left in the past.
1. Kevin Porter Jr. Domestic Violence Allegations
Ex-Houston Rockets’ player Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York City for an alleged attack on on his girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick.
Gondrezick has denied that Porter Jr. attacked her, saying she fell and hit her head after Porter Jr. abruptly woke her up after a night out.
One assault charge was dropped by the Manhattan District Attorney, but he still faces charges of second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
After news of the incident broke Porter Jr. was traded from the Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder and immediately waived.
