Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant’s de facto suspension for being connected to four incidents that involved the threat of violence, actual violence, and the alleged presence of guns is the biggest story in the NBA.
Everyone is weighing in on the two-time All-Star’s future and what he should do to turn his life around.
Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, a supporter of Morant’s, fired off a tweet comparing the glorification of rappers who tote guns to Morant and essentially asked what’s the difference.
A disingenuous and unintelligent remark from Pierce. He’s rightfully being dragged by people on Twitter.
Pierce’s Tweet And Some Reactions
“But we glorify and normalize all the rappers who do it and get paid from waiving Guns in rap videos making millions. I’m trying to understand make this make since, what crime did he commit,” Pierce tweeted.
Former NBA player Tyshawn Taylor replied to Pierce saying Morant was wrong for posting the gun on IG live.
“I love you truth but you know wasup big bro – he’s not wrong for carrying – he wrong for posting it on live when he got the influence he do ! It ain’t like he was on there showing mf how to safely use the tool – a person in his position would’ve fun to not protect himself”
Another former player, Olden Polynice, said Pierce “knows better.”
Rappers Glorified For Toting Guns .. End Up Dead
Maybe rappers who play pretend or get involved in that life do get glorified and make millions. But they also end up dead.
Rapper Young Dolph was murdered in Memphis at a bakery at 27-years-old.
Tupac Shakur was gunned down at 25 in Las Vegas. Do we need to go on?
Pierce himself was stabbed 11 times in the face and neck in Boston in 2000. Not a rapper, but someone intimately impacted by violence.
Asking what crime did Morant commit is reckless and dangerous. Guns kill people. More than 45,000 people annually the past few years.
Morant At A Crossroads
It’s not hyperbolic to say that Morant is at a crossroads in his young life. Playing with guns and being associated with threats of violence against others is not a good thing and invited people who really do this into your orbit.
Associates with Morant were accused of shining a red laser light at the Indiana Pacers traveling party back in January. What if Morant and his associates did the same to a group of people in Memphis, who have some perceived beef with Morant or someone in Morant’s circle?
What if those same people had access to guns and have no problem going after Morant and company because they are about that life? What then?
This is serious and goes beyond basketball. We are talking about the lives of people.
Adopting a thug or gangster persona when that’s not who you are is not wise. That’s a lifestyle that almost always ends horribly.
As someone who has been the victim of violence, Pierce shouldn’t be adding this type of rhetoric to an already fraught discourse.
As of now Morant is away from the team with no clear timetable for his return. He issued a statement that said he is taking “full responsibility.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
But in this case actions will speak louder than words.
