Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas has controversially endorsed Ja Morant in the wake of the Grizzlies superstar’s strip club gun scandal this weekend.
Morant made headlines Saturday morning for all the wrong reasons after he posted an Instagram Live video, in which he appeared to be flashing a gun while partying topless at a strip club.
But despite being suspended for two games and since issuing a rude apology, he has received some support from a former NBA star in Arenas.
Speaking on his podcast, the former Memphis guard said, “When we’re young, we do stupid things. We do stupid things.
“We’re trying to pretend 23 is really old? 23 with a lot of money… stupid things will happen. Some of us get caught, some don’t.’
Yes Morant appeared to be holding up a gun in an Instagram Live video in the wee hours of Saturday
Gilbert Arenas used his podcast as a platform to support Morant, insisting ‘we all do stupid things’
Arenas was then put in a hypothetical situation where he owned the Memphis Grizzlies and was asked what he would do about the Morant scandal.
He then turned around in his chair, without looking at “Morant,” revealing, “I’m the owner? I’m going to do what every owner does: pretend I don’t see it.
‘I do not see anything. Just grow up a little faster. You have too much time on your hands. You need to put Ja near someone who has been through the same thing and got out safely.”
Arenas’ comments are likely to shock some viewers, given his controversial past with guns and his suspension from the NBA for a 2009 incident.
Then at the Washington Wizards, Arenas admitted bringing unloaded guns into the locker room at Capital One Arena during a gambling dispute with his then-teammate Javaris Crittenton.
Matters came to a head on Christmas Eve when the pair reportedly drew guns at each other in the dressing room during an altercation, and both were suspended for the rest of the season.
Crittenton was later charged with the 2011 murder of a woman. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm and is currently serving a 23-year sentence.
Moreover, Arenas isn’t the only former NBA player to be in Morant’s corner after his misdemeanor.
Paul Pierce – a former NBA champion – also supported Morant in a post on his social media page
Morant is a big name in the NBA but has been involved in a range of different controversies
Paul Pierce – himself an NBA champion – tweeted on Sunday: “I don’t care what y’all say about Yeah I carried a gun after I got stabbed y’all don’t know what he went through.
“Everyone has something to say until you really know what’s really going on in someone’s life. When you are black and rich in a target period (sic).’
Morant, meanwhile, has been involved in four alleged gun-related incidents in recent months, with the strip club video the latest in a string of controversies.
He was charged in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager in the face during a pick-up 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 Shelby County Sheriff’s Office detectives told the point guard hit him “12 to 13 times,” adding that Morant’s boyfriend hit him an additional “four to five times.” time.’
The teen claimed that when he got up to leave after the fight, Morant entered his home and reappeared with a gun.
Former NBA player Javaris Crittenton was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty in August 2011 to voluntary manslaughter with a weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm
Grizzlies’ Morant was spotted during a game this week pretending to fire a shotgun
Morant released a statement saying he will take some time off to get help
In a mind-boggling incident just days after the report was released, Morant sparked even more controversy — this time during an NBA game — when he held a gun celebration after watching a teammate shoot a three-pointer.
The unsavory moment occurred Wednesday night when the Memphis Grizzlies took on the Houston Rockets, with Morant watching from the bench as Desmond Bane tapped a three-point effort in front of his teammates.
Morant was thrilled by the shot and celebrated by pretending to shoot a gun at Bane as he ran onto the floor in defense.
Additionally, there was an unsavory incident after the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when acquaintances of Ja Morant “aggressively confronted” members of Indiana’s touring party and pointed a red laser at them.
The athletic said that Morant was driving an SUV with friend Davonte Pack and another person when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.
Two people who spoke anonymously to the publication said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana guard nearby claimed “that’s 100 percent a gun.” However, it has not been confirmed that the laser was attached to a weapon.
Morant played for the Grizzlies in Denver on Friday night, just hours before the Instagram clip
Memphis was badly beaten by the Nuggets, but Morant appeared in good spirits throughout
The incident sparked a competition investigation and appears to have shaken those involved.
“We felt we were in great danger,” said one attendee.
On Saturday night, Morant released a statement taking responsibility for his actions and explaining that he would be taking time off from the game to work on his well-being.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” he said. “I am 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 out to get help and work on learning better methods of coping with stress and my overall well-being.”
