Over the past few weeks, Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant has been surrounded by controversy. This, unfortunately, unfolded as Morant was on course to have his best season in the NBA.

Morant was suspended from March 4th through March 22nd. On March 3rd, Morant went live on Instagram following a loss to the Denver Nuggets. On this live Morant appeared to be inside a club and then started flashing around a gun. He ended the live stream shortly after and then it exploded all over the internet. Before this, Morant was already under fire for allegedly threatening a teenager during a pickup basketball game and also flashing a gun at the teenager. This incident occurred during the summer of 2022 but only came to light recently.

The NBA took quick action and suspended Morant. The league required that he had to undergo counseling before he could play again, but no further details were released.

Prior to this incident, Ja Morant was under fire for trying to portray a “gangster” type of persona. Former NFL player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe had quite a strong opinion on Morant’s actions. He said, “You got a $200 million contract and you want people in the NBA to think you hood, to think you gangsta because you roll with these type of people. Bruh, you’re putting yourself in harm’s way when you don’t have to. Nobody looks at you, Ja, and thinks man that’s a thug, he’s hood, he’s down, he’s about that. You not. Stop pretending!”

Wayne Hills teacher Mr. Goebelbecker said, “When you have a platform that big, you need to be aware of your actions.”

Since March 22nd, Ja Morant has returned to the league, only missing one game for the Grizzlies. In the games that Morant has played, he has put up an average of 24.5 points per game and 7 assists per game.