Charles Barkley is sick of hearing sports personalities defending Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant as he is reinvestigated by the NBA for a firearm-related incident.
Before the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat kicked off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Morant situation was brought up, and Barkley clearly had to vent.
«We’ve got some jerks, some jerks, some jerks on TV that really pissed me off talking about ‘Ja should take a stand saying he didn’t break any laws. He didn’t do anything wrong. We’re in a state where you can carry a gun. Those guys they’re just idiots,» Barkley said.
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April 24, 2023; Los Angeles, California, United States; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts during the first half of Game Four of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. (Gary A. Vásquez-USA TODAY Sports)
«It bothers me when I hear guys say that. When you’re making $100 million a year [Morant makes $39 million each year, but will make $194 million over five years] a year to play sports, it changes your life. There are certain rules and regulations that you have to live by, plain and simple. You can’t do stupid things. That’s the compensation.»
One of the people Barkley is talking about is former NBA sharpshooter and current ESPN personality JJ Redick, who said Morant should face punishment but noted no laws were broken, including other incidents he was involved in. .
«We can get into the back story with the incident with the teen, Ja alleging that the teen threw the ball in his face in self-defense,» Redick said on ESPN’s «First Take» on Wednesday. «We can address the incident with the mall when he yelled at the security guard. We can address the incident with the Indiana Pacers tour group. As far as we know… all of these things have been investigated and no laws have been broken.» «. .»
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Redick also touched on Republican lawmakers, mentioning Texas Gov. Greg Abbott along the way.
«In our country, right now, gun culture is pervasive… We have mass shootings after mass shootings and no one is doing it.» [anything] about it… But there is no consequence of Greg Abbott telling his constituents they should ‘go buy more guns’ and then we have mass shooting after mass shooting in Texas,» Redick said.
«Why are we trying to put the hammer on a 23-year-old who didn’t break the law? Explain it to me.»
Barkley sees things differently now that Morant has as global a platform as the NBA.
Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up before playing the Los Angeles Lakers in game six of the Western Conference first round playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
«If you want to do all those things and give all that money back, more power to you. You can do that stance. ‘You know what? I want to do what I want to do. I want to show my gun and make videos.’ and do things.’ OK that’s fine. But you can’t make money with the NBA doing these things,” she said.
«I just hope he grows up and realizes, first of all, you’re not a thug. You’re not a criminal. You’re not a con man. You’re a guy who makes $100 million a year.» year dribbling a stupid basketball. And you win the lottery. We all win the lottery to do something. There are people out there who work nine to five, 80 to 90 hours a week and make $25,000 a year. They would kill to be in our situation.»
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Morant appeared waving a firearm in an Instagram Live video on the account of his friend, Davonte Pack. The Grizzlies have since suspended him from all team activities while they await the results of the league’s investigation.
Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the situation Tuesday night, saying it «assumes the worst» in Morant’s case. There has been talk of a heavy suspension as this is his second incident with a firearm on Instagram Live.
College basketball analyst Charles Barkley on air before the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four championship game between the Connecticut Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs at NRG Stadium on April 3, 2023 in Houston, Texas . (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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The first occurred during a road trip in Denver where Morant was seen by himself brandishing a firearm while intoxicated at a nightclub.