Nike backs Ja Morant and will not cut ties with the athlete after he appeared to be flashing a gun in an Instagram Live video from a strip club on Friday night.
Morant became the 23rd NBA player in history to launch a signature shoe with Nike last month, but has now been implicated in four alleged gun-related incidents.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Memphis Grizzlies star, Nike released a statement that stuck with their man.
The message, as reported by The athletic, read: “We appreciate Ja’s responsibility and that he takes the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being.”
Hours after being handed a two-game suspension for his actions, Morant posted a rude apology on social media, noting, “I am sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire organization. because I let you down.
Yes Morant appeared to be holding up a gun in an Instagram Live video in the wee hours of Saturday
Morant played for the Grizzlies in Denver on Friday night, just hours before the Instagram clip
He only launched his signature shoe last month and Nike is sticking with him despite incidents
“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.”
Morant, 23, has since deactivated his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The two-time NBA All-Star first signed with Nike before being drafted second by Memphis in 2019.
Morant isn’t the first NBA star to get Nike into trouble in recent months – after Kyrie Irving was suspended by the sportswear giant in the wake of its anti-Semitism scandal.
Irving faced criticism and backlash after sharing a link to the Amazon page for the 2018 movie “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” which contained anti-Semitic tropes.
Nike cut ties with Irving in November after he initially refused to apologize for his controversial tweet.
In a statement, the company said it was “deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation.”
The brand also said it would not be launching the Kyrie 8s – the shoe designed by the player and company – due to be released later in November.
Morant is a big name in the NBA but has been involved in a range of different controversies
Morant released a statement saying he will take some time off to get help
Morant, meanwhile, is no stranger to making headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months.
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.
Morant reportedly had the gun visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun.
In a baffling incident just days after the report was released, Morant sparked even more controversy — this time during an NBA game — when he threw a gun party 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.
Kyrie Irving was suspended by Nike in the final stages of 2022 over his anti-Semitism scandal
Grizzlies’ Morant was spotted during a game this week pretending to fire a shotgun
Morant was thrilled by the shot and celebrated by pretending to shoot a gun at Bane as he ran onto the floor in defense.
Morant was also involved in a separate incident at a Memphis mall last summer after the New York Post reported that the chief of security told police that Morant had “threatened” him during an altercation in the parking lot.
Morant’s mother reportedly got into an argument with a shoe store employee at the mall and called her son, who arrived shortly afterwards with a group of “as many as nine people.”
According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when confronted by the mall’s director of security.
Police arrived and a “verbal confrontation” reportedly escalated before someone in Morant’s entourage shoved the security chief at the head.
“As the group left the premises… Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time he gets out,'” the police wrote in the report.
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.
Last summer, an alleged incident occurred at Morant’s mansion outside of Memphis (pictured)
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has begged the Memphis Grizzlies observatory to ‘get it done’
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.
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.”
