A new report has emerged that alleges NBA star Ja Morant and his mother, Jamie, enlisted the help of nine friends to threaten a shoe salesman over a racial bias and size dispute at a Memphis mall last summer. Givon Busby, the salesman, said he hid in the back of the store for an hour, “shaking” with fear as Morant and his group shouted at him through the door.
“Ja Morant is out of control”@ClayTravis reacts to troubling new details of Ja Morant allegedly threatening shoe salesman. pic.twitter.com/ndqFgyDGY7
— OutKick (@Outkick) April 7, 2023
The incident reportedly stemmed from a woman, later identified as Jamie Morant, getting angry at Busby for allegedly helping two White women before her. After Busby told her he did not have the sneaker she wanted in her size, she allegedly began following him around and yelling at him. Busby was reportedly sent to the storeroom “fearing for his safety.”
According to The Washington Post, a police report indicated a potential offense as “intimidation,” but the name of the suspect was listed as “unknown.” Memphis police told the paper there were no reports listing Morant as a suspect. However, Busby claims Morant came to the store and allegedly threatened him, saying he would wait for him to get off work. Busby told The Washington Post, “I thought, ‘Oh, he’s really trying to get me,’” and that Morant’s behavior left him afraid for his safety.
The incident is the latest in a string of incidents involving Morant. He received an eight-game suspension for flashing a gun on Instagram Live inside a Denver nightclub and also checked into a facility to get treatment for stress management. Morant was also accused of punching a teenager and flashing a gun at him in the summer, but did not face charges for that either.
Morant has previously apologized for his actions, telling ESPN in an interview last month, “It’s not who I am. I don’t condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake, and I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes, but in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about, and change this narrative.”
The Controversial Return of Ja Morant: An Overview of the NBA Star’s Suspension and Apology
After serving an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NBA, Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard Ja Morant returned to the court in a game against the Houston Rockets. But what led to Morant’s suspension in the first place?
Morant’s suspension came after a controversial Instagram live video went viral, in which he showed off a gun while at a club in Colorado after their loss to the Denver Nuggets. While the police investigation found no wrongdoing on his part, Morant entered a counseling program in Florida and apologized for his actions.
Despite not violating any CBA laws, the NBA still found Morant guilty of conduct detrimental to the league and issued an eight-game suspension. In an interview with ESPN’s Jalen Rose, Morant clarified that the gun shown on his Instagram live was not his, but took full responsibility for his actions and promised to show everyone who he truly is.
As Morant returns to the court, it remains to be seen how he will continue to address the controversy surrounding him and his actions.
