Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies is presently serving a 25-game suspension for his second gun video incident this summer. NBA veteran Charles Barkley has been harsh on the Grizzlies star in public, and he recently restated some of his criticisms in an interview with CNN.
“He’s caught with a gun, he gets suspended and then, less than two months later, he gets filmed again on Instagram with a gun and you’re like, ‘Kid can’t be that stupid,'” Barkley was quoted as saying by CNN. “[The] kid is getting close to $100 million, and all you have to do is not be a fool.” Simply play basketball. It’s not like this is a real job. Teachers are not like us. We’re not like firefighters. We are not like cops. We are not members of the military. We are not medical professionals. Those are five legitimate jobs. Real jobs with people who will never make much money, and all you have to do is dribble a silly basketball and keep out of trouble.”
While Barkley was harsh on Morant in this instance, as he has been throughout, the NBA icon wants to see the Grizzlies star reach his full potential and remain out of trouble. Even the harshest detractors, such as Barkley, want the best for Morant, which is to remain out of trouble and have the legendary career that he is capable of having.