The Charlotte Hornets youngster Kai Jones has attracted a lot of attention this offseason with his bizarre antics. His Instagram posts have gone viral raising concerns about his mental health.
No one knows the reason behind Kai’s erratic behavior and people speculate that there is a lot happening behind closed doors. Adding to the suspense, Kai Jones is now set to training camp ahead of the NBA preseason.
Did the Hornets suspend Kai Jones?
The Charlotte Hornets have recently announced today that Kai Jones will not participate in the upcoming training Camp due to personal reasons. There is no premeditated time for his return to the team.
Out of respect for the personal nature of the situation, the Hornets did not make have any additional public comments regarding the matter at the time.
The Charlotte Hornets will have 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones away from the team indefinitely and there’s no timetable for his return, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Jones will miss training camp due to personal reasons, and team remains in constant communication with him.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 30, 2023
The Hornets had acquired Kai on 2021 via a draft day trade with the New York Knicks. Since then, he had struggled with the ball and had not been able to carve out sufficient playing time for himself.
Kai Jones posted a number of strange videos on social media
Jones started attracting the attention of the entire NBA earlier this month. He posted several strange videos on his Instagram that drew wide criticism from fans online. In one of the videos, he was seen sweating heavily and behaving erratically. Numerous fans pointed out that the star might have been acting under the influence of narcotics.
He followed that up days later on X (formerly known as Twitter) where he seemed to say he was a better player than Hornets star LaMelo Ball and 2023 No. 2 draft pick Brandon Miller, could beat prime Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James 1-on-1, and has a better midrange game than minority Hornets owner Michael Jordan. He also criticized the game of teammate Mark Williams, drawing a reaction from the Hornets center on Instagram. The erratic tweets were still going on Saturday.
Kai Jones dancing to Billie Jean oml pic.twitter.com/LtVrSlrw64
— 𝙉𝙊𝙍𝙄 🛸 (@Stxrynights_) September 27, 2023
After one of those Instagram live session, his Hornets teammates unfollowed Kai Jones. Kai’s antics may also not be a cry for attention but rather a desperate call for help. Many believe that he is suffering from something but is not being able to communicate his feelings in a healthy manner.
An athlete’s life is tough enough and injuries, scars, illness and controversies make it worse. His delusional comments and erratic behavior might make someone think that he is misbehaving, but one should keep the aspect of mental health in their mind and find out the reason for his actions.
What do you think about Kai Jones’ bizarre antics? Share your take on the comments below.
