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ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has warned Ja Morant that the NBA has connections within the FBI, and insists it is impossible to hide your misdemeanors from them after he appeared to flash a gun inside a strip club on Friday night.
The Memphis Grizzlies star has been banned for at least two games and investigations into the incident are still ongoing, with the two-time All-Star receiving criticism from analysts and fans alike.
Smith was no different, urging Morant to wise up and realize that it is impossible to go under the radar when the league constantly has eyes on you.
‘So many times, we don’t tell these players this,’ Smith said on NBA Countdown. ‘NBA has off-duty police officers. They’ve got connections with the FBI. They’ve got connections with everybody.
‘The NBA knows what you’re doing. They know who you’re doing it with. They know where you are. And they know how you’re conducting yourself at all times.’
Ja Morant appeared to hold up a gun in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday
Then, addressing the 23-year-old Morant directly, he added: ‘You got a deal that kicks in next year that could exceed $231million over the next five years. And on this show, on national television, is you associated with police.
‘Think about that for a second. And then ask yourself, is it really, really worth it? You know the answer to that, bro. It’s not worth it.’
Incredibly, the video on Friday night – which occurred on Morant’s own Instagram page when he appeared to hold a gun up alongside his head – is the fourth recent alleged weapons-related incident he has been involved in.
Morant was sued in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager in the face during a pickup game, something the NBA star claims was in self defense.
New details from police interviews obtained by The Washington Post revealed that the 17-year-old told detectives from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office that the point guard hit him ’12 to 13 times,’ adding that Morant’s friend struck him an additional ‘four to five times.’
The teenager claimed that as he got up to leave after the fight Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a gun.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith (L) warned Morant that the NBA are always watching closely
Morant released a statement saying he will be taking some time away to receive help
Morant allegedly had the weapon visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun.
In a baffling incident just days after the report was released, Morant courted yet more controversy – this time at an NBA game – when he performed a gun celebration after watching a teammate shoot a three-pointer.
The unsavory moment occurred on Wednesday night as the Memphis Grizzlies took on the Houston Rockets, with Morant watching on from the bench as Desmond Bane drained a three-point effort in front of his teammates.
Morant was hyped up by the shot, and celebrated by pretending to shoot a gun at Bane as he ran up the floor back on defense.
Morant was also involved in a separate incident at a Memphis mall last summer, after the New York Post reported that the head of security told police that Morant ‘threatened’ him during an altercation in the parking lot.
Morant played for the Grizzlies on Friday night in Denver, just hours before the Instagram clip
Grizzlies’ Morant was seen pretending to shoot a gun in celebration during a game this week
Morant’s mother reportedly got into a dispute with a employee at a shoe store at the mall and she called her son who arrived shortly after with a group of ‘as many as nine people.’
According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when confronted by the director of mall security.
Police arrived and a ‘verbal confrontation’ reportedly escalated before someone in Morant’s entourage allegedly pushed the security chief in the head.
‘As the group was leaving the premises … Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time he gets off,” police wrote in the report.
Furthermore, there was an unsavory incident following the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when acquaintances of Ja Morant ‘aggressively confronted’ members of Indiana’s traveling party – and pointed a red laser at them.
The Athletic said that Morant was riding with friend Davonte Pack and one other person in an SUV when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.
An alleged incident last summer took place at Morant’s mansion outside Memphis (pictured)
Morant is a huge name in the NBA but has been involved in a series of different controversies
Memphis were heavily beaten by the Nuggets, but Morant appeared in high spirits throughout
Two people who spoke to the publication anonymously said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana security guard nearby claimed ‘that’s 100 percent a gun.’ However, it has not been confirmed it the laser was attached to a weapon.
The incident led to a league investigation, and seems to have shook up those who were involved.
‘We felt we were in grave danger,’ one person present said.
On Saturday evening, Morant issued a statement taking responsibility for his actions and explaining he would be taking time away from the game to work on his well-being.
‘I take full responsibility for my actions last night,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.
‘I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.’
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