Charles Barkley has choice words for Ja Morant and the “idiots” defending his recent actions.
On Wednesday (May 17), before the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics playoff game, Barkley shared his thoughts on Morant brandishing another firearm in an Instagram Live video.
While the former NBA player unloaded on the Memphis Grizzlies star, he also bashed “people on TV” for claiming he didn’t deserve a lengthy suspension.
“We got some idiots, some fools, some jacka**es on television that really just pisses me off,” the NBA Hall of Famer began. “Talking about Ja should make a stand by saying he didn’t break any laws; he didn’t do anything wrong. Those guys are just freaking idiots. When you’re making $100 million a year to play sports, your life changes. There are certain rules and regulations that you have to live by. You can’t do stupid stuff. That’s the tradeoff. Now if you want to do all that stuff and give all that money back, more power to you.”
“First of all, you’re not a thug,” he later continued. “You’re not a criminal. You’re not a crook. You’re a guy making $100 million dollars a year to dribble a stupid basketball. … You got to look in the mirror and say, ‘Maybe, you know what? Maybe I’m the problem.’ It’s disappointing because the kid is a great player.”
While it’s unclear who these specific “idiots” are, First Take’s JJ Redick recently argued that the Grizzlies player didn’t deserve to be severely punished. On Wednesday (May 17), Redick, 38, made it clear he wasn’t condoning Ja’s behavior, but later explained how politicians who post firearms don’t face the same backlash.
“Why are we trying to lay down the hammer on a 23-year-old who didn’t break [the] law? Explain that to me,” the ex-basketball player argued.
Ja Morant was suspended again for flashing a gun on social media, ESPN reported. The Nike athlete was seen in an IG Live video on Saturday (May 13) rapping along to a NBA Youngboy song while in the car with his friend, Davonte Pack.
After Pack throws up a gun sign with his hands, the camera pans to Morant, who pulls out a real handgun. Davonte immediately pulls the camera away from the NBA player in what seems like an attempt to not show him with the firearm. The footage has since been deleted.
On Tuesday (May 16), he issued an official statement regarding the video, expressing that he is taking “full accountability” for his actions.
“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” the Memphis Grizzlies point guard wrote on Tuesday evening (May 16). “This is a journey, and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”