Ja Morant Gun Controversy by Calvin Miller
NBA star Ja Morant is under investigation after appearing to show a gun on an Instagram live on March 4th after his team, the Memphis Grizzlies, lost to the Denver Nuggets.
23 year old Ja Morant was reportedly at a bar called Shotgun Willies in Colorado during that night. Usually it’s not against the law for an adult to carry a licensed firearm; however, because of the Colorado Revised Statutes, it says that a person in possession of the firearm while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance is a class two misdemeanor and is punishable with up to 120 days in jail.
During the YouTube video, Ja Morant can’t be seen drinking or taking drugs, but the Glendale Police Department is trying to search for any evidence that he was: that includes, checking surveillance cameras, other people's videos, or alcohol charges on a credit card.
Morant also allegedly broke one of the NBA’s rules that says players are prohibited from possessing a firearm of any kind when traveling for NBA related business, or anything team related or with the NBA. While Morant wasn’t doing anything with his team at the time, he was at the bar as part of a team road trip, which means these rules applied to him at this time.
Even if everything showing a gun on an instagram live in a bar is legal, he still may get punished by the NBA because it is damaging to the leagues brand, hurts relationships with fans, and hurts sponsors and broadcasters.
This isn’t the first time Ja Morant has been caught in legal trouble; just last fall, Ja Morant was a defendant in a lawsuit for allegedly punching a 17-year old after an argument over a pick up basketball game. The teenager said that after the argument, Morant went back to his house, and came out with a gun in his waistband.
If this situation goes further, Ja Morant could be kicked out of the NBA and ruin his brand deals because partnering with Morant could give his partners a bad reputation, especially Nike and definitely the NBA.
23 year old Ja Morant was reportedly at a bar called Shotgun Willies in Colorado during that night. Usually it’s not against the law for an adult to carry a licensed firearm; however, because of the Colorado Revised Statutes, it says that a person in possession of the firearm while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance is a class two misdemeanor and is punishable with up to 120 days in jail.
During the YouTube video, Ja Morant can’t be seen drinking or taking drugs, but the Glendale Police Department is trying to search for any evidence that he was: that includes, checking surveillance cameras, other people's videos, or alcohol charges on a credit card.
Morant also allegedly broke one of the NBA’s rules that says players are prohibited from possessing a firearm of any kind when traveling for NBA related business, or anything team related or with the NBA. While Morant wasn’t doing anything with his team at the time, he was at the bar as part of a team road trip, which means these rules applied to him at this time.
Even if everything showing a gun on an instagram live in a bar is legal, he still may get punished by the NBA because it is damaging to the leagues brand, hurts relationships with fans, and hurts sponsors and broadcasters.
This isn’t the first time Ja Morant has been caught in legal trouble; just last fall, Ja Morant was a defendant in a lawsuit for allegedly punching a 17-year old after an argument over a pick up basketball game. The teenager said that after the argument, Morant went back to his house, and came out with a gun in his waistband.
If this situation goes further, Ja Morant could be kicked out of the NBA and ruin his brand deals because partnering with Morant could give his partners a bad reputation, especially Nike and definitely the NBA.