Ja Morant and his recent gun suspension have raised eyebrows around the sports world, with current and former athletes speaking on the situation.
While some have been harshly critical, most have sought to help Ja out. Former LA Clippers’ center Keith Closs is also one of the helpful voices.
Closs played in the NBA for 3 seasons before his career was cut short due to his rampant alcoholism, gang affiliations, and bringing guns into the locker room. Closs has cleaned himself up to become a motivational speaker now, sharing some valuable advice with Morant on avoiding the road he’s headed down.
“Brandishing a firearm on an IG Live is the dumbest thing he could do. It’s self-sabotage. He’s lucky that he’s gotten only a 2 game suspension, I lost a whole season. He’s fortunate that it’s only 2 games. Why aren’t these guys learning from the mistakes that we made in the past.”
Closs also went in-depth on Morant’s relationship with his father, Tee Morant, and his upbringing.
“He didn’t come up like that and there are so many family photos that prove that he didn’t. He’s got two great parents, supporting parents in his life. His father is in his life. My father was in and out of the penitentiary… I didn’t grow up with my dad in the household to guide me the way that Ja has been blessed to have his father. His dad’s presence at his games and so supportive. His number 1 fan. I know there’s some disappointment that his fathers gotta be feeling. He’s looking at this situation like this. ‘I didn’t raise you like this, so why are you acting like this?’ You can tell it’s out of character. It’s a sad, sad thing to see.”
Closs expanded on other topics like his personal situation and how his demons ended up ruining his career. He hopes Ja doesn’t face the same fate, given Morant’s status as a possible future superstar in this league.
When Will Ja Morant Return?
Even though Morant has officially been suspended for just two games, Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins revealed that Morant will be away from the team indefinitely. A police investigation has also emerged around his actions, so Ja’s return is definitely going to take longer than just 2 games on the sidelines.
Everyone will hope that Ja can realize the error of his ways and take rehabilitation seriously. Even if he meant no harm, the point guard needs to understand the platform he has and how his actions can endanger his future. He’s still young and has a long career ahead of him. Wasting it to cultivate an exaggerated persona would be incredibly foolish.
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