Global Courant 2023-05-18 09:15:00
Charles Barkley is tired of hearing sports personalities defend Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant as he is re-examined by the NBA for a gun-related incident.
Before the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat tipped in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Morant’s situation came up and Barkley clearly needed to get something off his chest.
“We’ve got some idiots, some fools, some assholes on television that really pissed me off when I talked about it, ‘Yeah needs to take a stand by saying he hasn’t broken any laws. He hasn’t done anything wrong. We’re in a state where you can carry a gun.’ Those guys are just idiots,” Barkley said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPORT ON FOXNEWS.COM
April 24, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts during the first half in game four of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
“It pisses me off when I hear guys say that. If you make $100 million a year (Morant makes $39 million a year, but will make $194 million over five years) a year to play sports, your life changes. are certain rules and regulations that you have to comply with, plain and simple. You can’t do stupid things. That’s the trade-off.”
One of the people Barkley is talking about is former NBA sharpshooter and current ESPN personality JJ Redick, who said Morant should receive a penalty, but he pointed out that no law was broken, including other incidents involving him used to be.
“We can get into the backstory with the incident with the teen, Ja claims self-defense that the teen threw the ball in his face,” Redick said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Wednesday. “We can go to the incident with the mall when he yelled at the security guard. We can go to the incident with the Indiana Pacers touring party. As far as we know…all of these things have been investigated and no law has been broken. ” .”
JA MORANT VAN GRIZZLIES REACTS AFTER SECOND VIDEO THAT APPEARS HOLDING GUN: ‘IN WORKING ON MYSELF’
Redick also spoke about GOP lawmakers, bringing up Texas Governor Greg Abbott along the way.
“In our country, the gun culture is ubiquitous right now… We have mass shooting after mass shooting and no one is doing (anything) about it… But it doesn’t affect Greg Abbott telling his constituents to ‘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 down on a 23-year-old who hasn’t broken any law? Explain that to me.”
Barkley sees things differently now that Morant has a platform as global as the NBA.
Yes Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up before game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at the 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, you get more power. You can take that attitude. ‘You know what? I want to do what I want to do. I want to flash my gun and shoot videos.’ and do things.’ Okay, that’s fine, but you can’t make money off the NBA doing things like this,” he said.
“I just hope he grows up and realizes, yo, man, first off, you’re not a felon. You’re not a criminal. You’re not a crook. You’re a guy who makes $100 million a year dribbling a stupid basketball. And you win the lottery We all enter the lottery to do something There are people out there who work nine to five, 80 to 90 hours a week to make $25,000 a year They would kill to get into our situation.”
ADAM SILVER ‘SHOCKED’ GRIZZLIES STAR JA MORANT WAS SEEN AGAIN WITH GUNS
Morant appeared to be brandishing a firearm in an Instagram Live video posted to his friend Davonte Pack’s account. The Grizzlies have since suspended him from all team activities pending the results of the league’s investigation.
Commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the situation on Tuesday evening and said he “assumes the worst” in Morant’s case. There is talk of a hefty suspension, as this is his second incident involving a firearm on Instagram Live.
College basketball analyst Charles Barkley on the air for 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)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The first occurred during a road trip in Denver, where Morant, at his own expense, displayed a firearm while drunk at a nightclub.
Scott Thompson is a sportswriter for Fox News Digital.
