Ja Morant’s been warned that a ‘notable’ Gang member in Los Angeles is ‘ticked off’ at him for portraying himself as a ‘hip-hop street ganger’ in the NBA All-Star’s latest pistol waving incident.
The suspended Memphis Grizzlies point guard, whose shoe deal with Nike is in jeopardy, is facing a potentially lengthy NBA suspension after being caught flashing a gun on Instagram Live over the weekend.
It comes just a few months after the 23-year-old received an eight-game ban from the league for finding himself in a similar scandal and on the back of several NBA investigations into claims that Member threatened to hurt a teen.
Speaking about the 2020 Rookie of the Year’s latest misconduct on ESPN Radio’s ‘Keyshawn, J-Will and Max’ show show on Monday, Geoff Calkins – a columnist at The Daily Memphian – was on the line when Keyshawn Johnson pointed out that gang members around the country had serious issues with Morant’s latest wrongdoing.
‘A notable gang member of a certain very powerful gang here in L.A. didn’t like the fact that Ja was doing those things in some of his games, along with portraying himself, to a degree, as some sort of hip-hop street gangster growing up in the hood when he hasn’t,’ Johnson said.
Ja Morant, 23, appeared on an Instagram Live over the weekend , showing off a pistol in a car
Keyshawn Johnson – raised in poverty in LA – made it clear that Morant is ‘not from the streets’
‘Those are the sort of things that I worry about because you’re aligning yourself in a position that you know nothing about at all whatsoever – zero about. That’s where I look at the team and the league and to be able to say, ”You’ve got to get him the necessary help that he needs; serious help.”’
Johnson – a former NFL wide receiver who’s childhood was plagued by gang crime and legal trouble in the City of Angeles – then made it clear that Morant ‘is not from the streets.’
The one-time Super Bowl champion (XXXVII) added that ‘people from the streets are kind of ticked off by his behavior because they would die to be in his shoes’ and be one of basketball’s most promising talents.
Yet, Johnson claimed that Morant, instead, finds himself on course to lose his five-year, $193 million deal with the Grizzlies, which could potentially up to $231 million, according to NBA.com.
Morant was also seen displaying gang signs in an NBA game after his eight-game ban in March
Morant’s apologized for his recent misconduct but has yet to face repercussions from the NBA
Johnson’s denunciation of Morant’s latest dangerous antics came on the same day that rapper Bricc Baby implored the NBA’s 2022 Most Improved Player to put the firearms away if he wants to steer clear of trouble down the line.
‘N*** you ain’t even from this s***. You ain’t even from this s***, no way, shape or form,’ said Baby, a member of the Crips, on a clip of Morant throwing up apparent gang signs during an NBA game.
‘C’mon let’s be real, cuh. Start being real with yourself. You’re a basketball player. If you want to step in this field, we could show you a lot about this s***.
‘Matter of fact, set up a meeting for me and Ja Morant, since he want to be a Crip. I bet you he don’t never show up.
For his part, Morant apologized for his latest troubles ‘I take full accountability for my actions,’ he said in part in a public statement that was released just hours after NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed disappointment over the situation.
Silver has yet to reveal what penalties Morant may face this time.
