Over the last few weeks, Ja Morant has risked the reputation of his team and the NBA. He did it to a greater extent than Kyrie Irving ever did. The point guard for the Grizzlies showed a gun on Instagram Live; as a result, he will be sidelined for at least two games. Fans are shocked at how Nike responded to this situation.
According to Morant’s statement, he will be absent for a few additional days while receiving professional assistance. This is the appropriate action because he has gone from being the most promising young player in the NBA since 2019 to become the most unpopular in just a few months.
Ja Morant has issued an apology for his actions and assumed full responsibility for the contentious video.
“I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis, and the entire organization for letting you down,” Ja Morant said via a statement (via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
What was Nike’s statement about Morant’s controversy?
In response to this recent controversy involving one of their high-profile athletes, Nike has issued a statement.
“We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being,” Nike said (via Shams Charania of The Athletic).
Nike statement on Ja Morant: “We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being.”
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 5, 2023
Prior to the aforementioned Instagram Live video, Ja Morant had already been making headlines. He was in the headlines, particularly after the Washington Post published a report. The report exposed unpleasant incidents off the court involving the Grizzlies’ standout during the summer.
How fans reacted to the hypocrisy of Nike with Ja Morant and Kyrie Irving?
Kyrie Irving lost his endorsement deal with Nike after he became embroiled in an anti-Semitic controversy earlier this season. At the time the decision was made, there was a relatively little backlash.
However, fans are now expressing their anger over why Ja Morant still has an endorsement deal with the sports apparel giant while Kyrie does not.
Nike really chose Ja Morant over Kyrie pic.twitter.com/ZlkGksjtpr
— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) March 4, 2023
It's okay if you beat up 17 year olds as long as you don't say anything bad about the Jews.
— Moxy (@MoxyMaserati) March 4, 2023
It clearly shows fans are saddened that why Kyrie was punished while Nike accepted the apology of Ja Morant.
There hypocrites! Stop supporting them