His talent is undeniable. His swag is contagious. His game is next level. Ja Morant is what you get when you put Derrick Rose’s athleticism in Allen Iversons’ body. His lightning-quick first step and sick handle are only part of his package that includes what LeBron James once called “rocket boosters in his calf muscles.”
It’s no mistaking that Morant is next in line to hold the mantle as the “Face of the NBA” when the changing of the guard happens from this current generation to the next. The culmination of the LeBron, Steph, KD, Westbrook, Giannis era is likely to end sooner than later and Morant is the one shining star set to be the centerpiece of the league.
Why? Look no further than the cultural appeal that he has, which is very similar to the aforementioned Iverson. Morant identifies with his generation and his generation identifies with him, from the stylish locs, to hitting the "Griddy" on the sidelines, Ja Morant is the culture.
However, it is this same juxtaposition of being “the culture” that has Ja Morant, who was poised to make at the very least 200 million on his next NBA contract and was likely to be one of the rare athletes to get a lifetime Nike deal down the road, facing a suspension that many feel could be upwards of half of a season. Morant's off-the-court actions have already cost him at least 40 million dollars in future earnings by not being named to this year's All-NBA team.
Why do I call it a juxtaposition? Because “the culture” is socially accepted as a Black term of endearment that pushes us forward and is a source of pride for our unapologetically natural acceptance of ourselves. In contrast, some of the actions that have Morant in deep water are representative of another “culture” that has had decadent effects on society, the American “Gun Culture.”
Before we go any further, let me be clear, what you are about to read in no way shape, or fashion is aimed at absolving or excusing Ja Morant’s behavior. My personal opinion is that his actions are totally irresponsible, immature and illuminate a sense of entitlement. Particularly this latest incident where Morant is seen holding a gun on his “friends” Instagram live. We all know this incident came after an 8-game suspension, that included a trip to the Principal Commissioners's office. A meeting that from all accounts, Morant was given clear expectations of how he should proceed from that point forward. We all know how Morant responded, by flashing a gun for a 2nd time on social media. Morant's transgressions aren't something that I would try to excuse. So with that out of the way let’s keep it pushing…
Ja Morant’s actions have him in the crosshairs (pun intended) of the NBA league office and the reps at Nike. These mega brands cannot have signature athletes associated with anything that appears to perpetuate gun violence. An issue that ironically, congress will not bring to a vote despite the countless mass shootings that seem to claim more and more American lives with each passing day. Confused? Don’t be it’s the hypocrisy of America, and the answer is usually the same, if it doesn’t make dollars it doesn’t make sense.
The Image and The Money: The NBA's Ja Morant Dilemma
The NBA has had a storied history of dealing with its image problem. You can go back to the late 70s and early 80s when drug use was plaguing the league. Furthermore, its most notorious image issue was the "Malice in the Palace" which led to the league instituting a dress code that many felt was indirectly aimed at the cultural impact of Allen Iverson. His arrival and swag led to more players getting tattoos and wearing braids. The corporate sponsors viewed his style as that of a “street thug” and after the Brawl in Detroit, the NBA had reason to “clean up” the image of the players, the commodity that the NBA sells to its sponsors. That is why nearly every NBA contract has a morality clause that players must adhere to.
Ja Morant violated the morality clause of his contract, yet his actions weren’t criminal. (Although we in the Black delegation definitely would argue that being that stupid and causing yourself that type of money is a crime. But I digress.)
Since his actions did not violate any local, state or federal law, the NBA, its sponsors, and the companies that Ja Morant has brand deals with, have an issue that they have to solve. They have to send a message to him, set a precedent for others, and last but definitely not least do all this in a fashion that won’t hurt their pockets too much in the process.
Let's unpack this, an excessive suspension of Morant can financially hurt the league so they will definitely be careful with the handling of this situation. A half-season suspension hurts the city of Memphis because those games aren’t likely to be sellouts if Ja isn’t on the court. His team isn’t likely to make it to the playoffs with him missing half the season in a loaded Western Conference. TNT and ESPN, the two major broadcasting networks of the NBA can suffer low viewer ratings on nationally televised games if he doesn’t suit up until January. I can go on about the economic impact he has on the league which is why he was set to gain potentially half a billion dollars himself in career earnings. An insane amount of money for anyone, let alone a 23-year-old member of Gen Z, whose actions are simply reflective of the “culture” he was programmed raised in.
What Morant, the NBA, and its subsidiaries are set to lose because of this situation pales in comparison to the incalculable cost the families incurred who lost loved ones to gun violence.
Gun violence, America’s not-so-silent economic stimulus.
According to a research study done by Everytownsupportfund.org, a gun safety support fund, gun violence costs America $557 billion annually. Here is an excerpt from the report explaining how they calculated this astronomical total:
This $557 billion problem represents the lifetime costs associated with gun violence, including three types of costs: immediate costs starting at the scene of a shooting, such as police investigations and medical treatment; subsequent costs, such as treatment, long-term physical and mental health care, earnings lost to disability or death, and criminal justice costs; and cost estimates of quality of life lost over a victim’s life span for pain and suffering of victims and their families.
What the fund is arguing is an economic problem for America, in my opinion, Congress must see as an economic stimulus based on their inaction. Let me make it plain, can America afford to solve a problem that is a major supplier to the medical, criminal justice, pharmaceutical, funeral, police, prison, and countless other industries? I think we both know the answer to that is NO…
Taking it one step further, if you are going to profit off of gun violence then you must market gun violence. This explains the long history of gun violence in video games, movies, and hip-hop music, or in other words "American Culture." Promoting gun violence is a way to protect your investment and ensure those “profits” are generated. Profits that will continue to pay for police, doctors, prisons, funerals, and pharmaceuticals to rehash the point.
With the constant expansion of the internet and social media, guns have become even more ingratiated in society. And now gun control has spiraled from what many felt was a problem that primarily plagued a inner city communities into what feels like a daily occurrence of mass shootings as perpetrators looking to go viral and become infamous for killing random people.
Mass Shootings: The latest phase in the America Gun Culture Debate
To say that mass shootings have gotten out of hand is an understatement. There have been 202 mass shootings in America already this year. Given America’s history on race, it isn’t surprising that little to nothing was done to curb gun violence in the black community. However, I must admit that I was initially shocked that America isn’t doing more to curtail the staggering uptick in mass shootings in America. An epidemic that by in large plagues the predominately white rural and suburban populations in America. But then I had to think about it, America operates from a point of view that nothing superceeds its bottomline.
Despite this record frequency of mass shootings, American lawmakers still refuse to make any changes to the country's gun laws nor put a band on assault rifles which are typically the weapon of choice during these violent killing sprees. Unlike gun violence in the Black community which can be largely attributed to gangs or drug disputes, mass shootings have no rhyme or reason. We have seen them happen in elementary schools, high schools, movie theaters, malls, Walmarts, grocery stores, churches, concerts, nightclubs, and the list could go on and on.
In all honesty, Americans live in fear whether acknowledged or not because the lack of gun control laws. Due to the governments inaction every inch of public space is a potential target for the next mass shooting. A fact that is unlikely to change because lobbyists groups, such as the NRA and others continue to line politicians' pockets to keep gun control from reaching the voting floor of Congress. Money trumps safety. (Pun intended) And the countless nonsuspecting people who lose their lives at the hands of an assault rifle wielding murderer are the ones who pay the ultimate price.
In closing, Ja Morant’s (I was actually trying to find a kinder word here) stupidity, will hurt his pockets as well as his reputation. He will become the poster boy for making poor choices and all the investors in Ja Morant Inc. will be working to rehab his image, because he is too valuable of a talent for the NBA not to market if he gets his “act” together. (Yes NBA players must "play the role" in order to reap certain benefits.) Unfortunately his suspension will garner more headlines than whatever mass shooting will have taken place that week.
In typical American hypocritical fashion, while the talking heads will focus on Morant, American lawmakers will continue the lifeless lip service as more guns will be purchased and more lives will be lost to someone who wants to live stream themselves shooting up a random place where everyday people were going about their day. The location of the crime will become another hashtag and concerned citizens will send money and aid to the victims of the families. The outpouring will last as long as the news media decides to keep it at the forefront of the news cycle. Sadly this is America.
All we can expect American lawmakers to offer as resistance is their condolences and make statements like Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, whose response to a mass shooting at a Nashville school was, "My office is in contact with federal, state, & local officials, & we stand ready to assist."
I think San Antonio Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich spoke for every outraged citizen when he gave the ultimate retort to Senator Blackburns statement when he spoke out at a recent pregame press conference,
"In what?" Popovich said. "They're dead. What are you going to assist with? Cleaning up their brains off the wall? Wiping the blood off the schoolroom floor? What are you going to assist with?"... The Second Amendment is "a myth, it's a joke, it's just a game they play," he added. "I mean, that's freedom. Is it freedom for kids to go to school and try to socialize and try to learn and be scared to death that they might die that day?"
- This article is dedicated to all the families who have been affected in any way by gun violence in America, whether it was the hood or the suburbs, my thoughts and prayers are with you!
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