Ja Morant has certainly been a major highlight in the NBA over the last year and a half. The 24-year-old point guard earned his stripes with his outstanding performances. And now, the league looks at him as a potential poster boy in the future. While Morant succeeds on various levels in the NBA, his off-court life has been quite dramatic.
There are a few things that we have to keep in mind regarding Morant. He is currently facing a lawsuit filed by a boy named Joshua Holloway. He alleged that Morant was physically assaulted and threatened with a gun over a year ago. However, the Memphis Grizzlies star testified in court claiming it was the other way around. While this lawsuit continues, Morant has been trying to assist his team back into playoff contention.
Ja Morant recently returned from a 25-game suspension after he was booked for flashing a gun on social media in May. He has been performing very well lately averaging 28.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. However, Morant wasn’t the only individual who got caught under fire during the gun incident. His friend, Davonte Pack, and rapper NBA YoungBoy also received a lot of criticism.
Ja Morant was listening to NBA YoungBoy’s songs while flashing a gun on social media
In May 2023, Ja Morant and his best friend, Davonte Pack were live streaming from a car. They were using Pack’s Instagram account while blasting music and interacting with random fans on their live stream. However, in the background, one of NBA YoungBoy’s songs happened to be playing. This was when Morant unknowingly pulled out a gun and raised it in the air. Pack immediately covered the camera on realizing that Morant violated NBA guidelines again.
More than Morant, both Pack and NBA YoungBoy received a lot of hate and criticism at the time. Pack already didn’t have a great reputation in the NBA due to his controversial appearances during Grizzlies games. But NBA YoungBoy was dragged by fans and experts for influencing Morant’s character and personality.
NBA YoungBoy’s music has often been linked to violence in some ways, according to several fans around the world. This is why they held the rapper accountable for a while. However, Ja Morant ended up apologizing for his mistake and served a 25-game suspension which ended on December 19, 2023. Morant came back in style and hit a game-winner against the New Orleans Pelicans as well.