Ja Morant says his “bad guy” image is a misconception: “I’ve done what I’ve done in the past, but it’s been addressed and handled already. I don’t see why years later that’s still the topic when nothing’s happened since.”
He just needs to stay healthy for a full season. People don’t hate performance.
Him being healthy isn’t enough. He needs to do more to change the narrative on him being washed.
Yes, this, he was suspended for insubordination just last season. He seems to be in denial about what’s he’s done to his career. Just because it isn’t a crime, doesn’t mean it’s ok on the job.
bro wouldn’t comprehend accountability if the dictionary page was opened up before him.
the whole family is garbage tee acts like a 16 year old, mom calling ja when she does not get her way at the mall they are the picture of trash gettto stereotype surprised ja ain’t on a tshirt yet.
U ain’t lyin 🤣
That’s in the past though
Everything that has ever happened is in the past
Whoa look at this comment from the past. It’s aging gracefully
woah
Big if true
Miniscule if false
Big future wants you to ignore this one simple trick!
But he pokes the bear when he gets the chance by his celebration he started doing. So no it’s not in the past.
he upped from a rifle to a rocket launcher. do you know how easy it is to get a rifle, and how hard it is to get a rocket launcher? the JAliban has increased it’s power and is on a mission to only get stronger. next season he’ll be holding a red button in his hand and pressing it.
He should try the fortified mounted heavy machine gun position celebration instead
Winning is what needs to happen, in addition to health, and solid stats.
So, just everything has to completely change and it will be good.
I mean he was healthy and effective on court not too long ago. And Portland was a decent team last year.
Pretty good chance Ja makes a comeback reputation-wise imo. Not all the way back to being a potential face of the league but could be an all-star level player again
I think he can and I hope he does. He’s really fun to watch when he’s engaged on the court and not in his feelings
The narrative on him being washed was because he wasn’t healthy.
He also hardly improved his game if at all.
He is also a worse player whenever he does play tho. Obvious by any metric or watching
His lack of a jump shot doesn’t help
By performing??
He needs to join an Anti gun group 😂
I’ll add that i’ve never seen him as a bad guy. Just a dumb guy.
really punching a 17 year old. bringing a gun out to threaten a 17 year old. mommy calling you to come to the mall after her own altercation him coming with a massive entourage and threatening security. that’s just a dumb guy jesus dude
People always forget the time he rolled up to a high school girls volleyball game in the suburbs to fight a teen
Edit: it was, hilariously, Houston High for anyone who knows the area
That’s bad? Come on he’s just a kid take it easy on the poor kid (/s)
How the fuck does this comment have so many upvotes. Being dumb or ignorant is like not knowing the laws. Being an asshole is knowing what’s wrong or right but still doing the wrong thing i.e. punching a teenager or bringing a gun across state lines. Ja is both dumb and an asshat. He’s young and still has time to grow up and learn, but “he’s just stupid” is such a cop out.
Idk man when he’s on the court isn’t he shooting bazookas and throwing grenades as gestures to celebrate. Honestly it is a little funny but personally I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t want to have the “dumbass bad guy” image.
The bazooka gestures were quite entertaining.
Could have been a Key and Peele sketch.
Hand grenade celly was an all time great, so he’s still got that
Oh it’s hilarious, but he’s also quite literally burning money while he does it. Let’s be real here, the main reason he doesn’t want this image is it hurts his advertising money
He needs to perform while being healthy.
He is also wrong is this video, he hasn’t performed in a while and people judge his character by his own actions.
His on court performance even while healthy has been declining for years and his effort at times has been so bad that he was literally suspended for it
In fact, based on what the fandom and leagues have shown in the past…. I think if he was an MVP level player with this baggage, no one would care
They do though. His entire game is predicated on athleticism and unfortunately he has taken a step back. In the modern NBA you need that quick first step and what you need more than that is a consistent outside shot. He is a guard lacking both, this is on top of him not playing any meaningful defense and that’s being generous. He needs to look in the mirror and change his game or his next bag will be his last
Healthy and be the performer he was 3 years ago when the Grizz were a playoff team. Too many allegations that hes trash now and his trade value reflected that.
Nothings happened since Ja, that’s the exact problem. You can’t make em forget when you can’t stay on the court.
Yepp, if he was healthy and dunkin on people he’d be doing great grenade emotes and all
That is some dumbass logic. People should only be allowed to rehabilitate their image if…they are excellent in their profession? What?
Literally what Kobe did (and it worked)
Also, another example to prove OP’s point: Deshaun Watson still gets shat on. If he’s balling out right now people would move on. Like it or not that’s how the world works
and that was bad right? why would we try to uphold that standard?
We’re not trying nor do we have to. I’m saying it’s happening regardless whether deliberate or otherwise
And Ja is rightfully complaining that that is the case lol
no its just common sense. If the last thing notable you did is bad stuff, a lot of people will think of you in that way.
His own team suspended him just last season!? Like of course he’s still being criticized.
The dude is a basketball player, we’re engaging in a basketball forum. He’s been dogshit at basketball for years. So those videos of him waving a gun around and fighting a kid are going to stick….because there’s nothing else to talk about. Logic is sound.
I mean, they do have to rehabilitate their image somehow, no?
It’s kind of in the definition of what you just said.
Point to exactly what Ja has done, specifically, to rehab his image besides the fact that time has passed.
That’s the double standard in every pro sport. A lot more gets forgiven a lot faster if you play well.
Because we have nothing else to think about him for, if he went off scoring 25/4/9 in the past two playoffs wed be talking about his amazing performance. But all we have to talk about him for is being injured, playing like shit, and the gun shit
Well, has he done anything to rehabilitate his image? Has he spoken regret about what he did? Committed himself to gun safety awareness? Provided ongoing support to the community? I am not trying to be snarky. I honestly don’t follow Ja, so I don’t know.
He hasn’t done anything for people to remember him by so people just remember what he used to do.
He’s allowed to, he just… hasn’t done it. I don’t know what to tell you, people’s perceptions of you don’t change just because.
What rehabilitation?
His public image only exists through basketball. The only way he can rehabilitate his image is through playing.
Your logic that donations, apologies and excuses mean anything is even stupider.
I didn’t say I agree with it, I’m just saying that’s how it typically works in our society
Bro, he didnt even need to play excellent. He just needed to play at all.
Nothing’s happened since except for throwing a grenade into the crowd during an NBA game. /s
Bad guy? Nah. Dumbass? Yes
Didn’t he beat up a kid?, if so. I’d say bad guy and a dumbass.
I can think of three different altercations he had with teenagers
Being dumb or ignorat is not know right from wrong in a situation. Being a bad guy is doing the wrong thing in spite of knowing it’s wrong. Ja is both dumb and an asshole. “Just dumb” people dont beat up teenagers.
Exactly right. He works on his jump shot and cognative behavioural therapy, he could add several more years to his nba career.
I’m from them subs
By “nothing’s happened since” I can only assume he means “give any meaningful playing time to the team he was on”
he’s only gotten worse on-court, so it’s a lazy narrative
You can be an idiot or lazy, rarely works for people who are both.
Ja just now learning about the concept of a “reputation”
I’ve never really seen him as a bad person, just a moron.
Flashing guns on video multiple times is not good person behavior. Beating up a 17 year old is definitely not good person behavior. Aiming laser gun sights on a visiting team bus is not good person behavior.
It’s certainly moron behavior tho! Lol
I would have said he’s so dumb it results in him being a bad person
I can think of three altercations with teenagers off the top of my head
Some bad people are driven by cruelty, but plenty are driven by cluelessness
lol good people don’t have their buddies aim guns with lasers at opposing teams busses and beat up teenagers when they are in the league. This man’s shenanigans are virtually unprecedented for a player of his caliber. He’s a moron and a bad guy with a shitty dad.
Would love to hear your definition of a bad person.
Ja Moront
It’s called a reputation Ja.
Precisely. Whatever might be in the past, is in the past sure. But that doesn’t erase it.
Yea exactly this. He seems to miss that celebrity culture is very fickle. People love scandal and those involved do not get to shake the image that people have of them. Mostly people are forever known by what they got most famous for, which is why much smarter people than Ja are very protective of their image and what they make public.
So yea, a superstar NBA player flashing guns on social media is a big deal to a lot of people and the guy who did it will forever be known for it. That is the world he entered when he chose to be an ultra-rich NBA player on a 9 figure contract. If he didn’t want it to follow him he should not have done it. Everybody wants to be a brand but some people do nothing to protect their brand.
Welcome to life. You carry your consequences for as long as it takes and it suck’s but it is what is
People are definitely less forgiving nowadays. Things don’t get forgotten and forgiven for celebrities like they used to
he gets paid millions of dollars to play basketball and he doesn’t even play these days cause he’s injured. I can’t possibly feel bad for him right now when most of us are paycheck to paycheck working real jobs lol. I guess Ja is risking his body for this, other celebrities make way more money and pretend to be a superhero so there’s even less sympathy there but still
Or even for normal people. You gotta be Jesus to not get crucified, it’s crazy
Mostly because of the internet
True
And Ja is chronically online.
Can’t get over how old he looks these days. Booze ages you quick
was thinkin the same thing he looks very bloated which i feel like is kinda rare for an nba player
I would imagine a fair ammount of lean as well
In 2026 getting traded to the Trailblazers is an effective scared straight program.
We made the playoffs man :(
Just hating your coach and the offensive system because you wanna be a usage rate merchant, getting suspended for insubordination, having videos of you getting into verbal altercations on the court while being in street clothes, not being healthy, not improving your game, getting worse every year at the only thing you were good at, and having a 3 to 4 year history that shows you have the decision making and emotional intelligence of a toddler.
100% a misconception.
the Internet is a circlejerk
Pretty much
Time is a flat circlejerk.
I’d say the celebrations have kept it alive as well. Hand grenades? Rpgs?
He looks skinny fat
He needs to quit drinking and start balling
He’s definitely puffed up from drinking. Looks bad on his frame.
Get ready for the zero-accountability game, Portland.
He doesn’t have a “bad guy” image. He acts like he’s a gangster when his whole life has been the total opposite of that. He wasted his prime years acting like a cornball instead of improving his midrange game. He is also on record as quitting on his team and setting at least one franchise on fire on his way out. By the way, because his game is 99% dependent on going to the rim, he’s had at least 2 serious injuries. Why would that not follow him around, even though “nothing’s happened since” (which is a wild statement to hear if you’re the Portland FO)? In any other profession, half of that stuff would definitely follow him around and cost him jobs.
“Are you a plumber? No? Then why do you keep bringing up old shit!?” -Ja probably
You fuck one goat, one time. And suddenly folks think you’re attracted to animals. That’s the old me. Let the past be the past.
Why am I facing consequences for my actions ? I mean why arent you guys forgetting ? I’ve only acted the same way my whole career, let it go already! I’ve done absolutely nothing to show I’ve grown or that I’m a changed man gah!
To be fair I think he’s claiming he has changed. Glad it’s not my teams problem. I hope he at least bounces back basketball wise, he was a fun player to watch
But that’s the thing, Mr. Morant. Nothing has happened since. You playing booboo basketball dawg
Winning fixes all
We are watching a grown man learn what a reputation is in real time lol
We’re all looking for the guy who did this!
He went on to say ‘ and ppl keep talking all that, ::gun fingers:: they finna find out’ Ope
Bra ya peoples almost upped fye on the pacers 😆
Sounds like he’s playing victim a lil when he’s the reason he has that label?
In what world is telling people to move on being a victim yall dumb as hell on this app
That’s what I came here to say. He did some dumb stuff when he was younger, people forget Ja is 26, the gun stuff happened when he was 23 I believe, young people do dumb shit
To be honest what Lamelo does with his cars is even worse than what Ja did, he wasn’t putting other peoples lives in danger
Dude has done nothing to clear up the “misconception”
I still got faith in him for this season
fair point but he also worked very hard building up a negative image. so can’t be too mad when it takes time for people to see you differently. gotta own up to that part as well.
Wasn’t he a team cancer…last season?
Wow he sure seems humbled by his past and is taking full accountability for his actions without dismissing it. What a healthy adult.
“It’s in the past get over it!”
Because he shows that he’s not a changed man, he takes the piss out of the past incidents with the fake gun gestures.
Realistically he’s not a bad guy at all, far from being a bad guy. He’s just seems like a headache to deal with.
Lol
I’m gonna be a hater on this one , Ja is weak. In the sense that he will never really acknowledge his bad actions and never seek help nor therapy for why he’s playing so much worse, it is not because of injuries.
He looks so tired. I defended him up until the Berlin game last year. I know he hated the front office and staff by the end but it’d be nice if he could say something to the fans who supported him for so long in Memphis. That might show a little maturity and grace. Idk
years later
The guy went into the game a did bazooka celebrations and had a melt down with his last coach. He really tryna act like he just did the club and gun thing and that’s only thing people can judge him on😂😂 the other little shit afterwards shows he’s not matured and him not recognising the impact they have on people’s perception to the point he’s dodging accountability by calling it a “misconception” shows he’s still not learned his lesson
don’t forget threatening and beating a 17 year old and bringing the thug group to threatening security and staff at a mall cause mommy was mad. Ja better start learning mandarin
Because it seems like you are never apologetic or that you learned anything, dude.
Sad finger guns go pew pew
Has he ever shown any accountability or contrition? That’s why dude.
Man just wants no consequences for his actions
Best thing he could do is keep pops in Memphis. Time to be a grown up.
Maybe if you gave people a reason on the court to care…you haven’t and it seems like you can’t anymore.
lol I’m in my 30’s but in HS we had a kid who’s dad beat up some student over a pick up basketball game and everyone still talks about it
Nobody stepped in to help the student getting beaten up by the adult?
People love a redemption arc. He hust hasn’t had once yet.
its almost like your bad decisions follow you, like everyone warned him. not to mention the grenade and shooting motion celebrations
no one is talking about Ja because hes irrelevant. he cant stay on the court
Didn’t he get in Klay’s face calling him a bum just this past season, while wearing street clothes?
Pretty much answered it himself there
If I remember correctly, he was on live with a gun and then he got in trouble with the league and then got caught again with a gun and then suspended. Then he celebrated with finger guns and bazookas. It wasn’t a one time thing.
Then he came back, played great against the thunder in the playoffs that last game but he got injured. Came back the next season, struggled to stay on the court due to injury. Quit dunking and driving hard because he said oh that’s what all yall want from me right. Extremely low efficiency offensively and terrible defensively.
Seemingly got Taylor Jenkins fired.
He doesn’t think he did anything wrong and feels like the victim. A simple “I learned from those mistakes and hoping to have a healthy and successful season with my new team” would have been a better answer. It’s clear he still has no accountability and going to complain about lack of playtime and time with the ball in his hand
Well he hasn’t been a productive player since either.
I think it would be good if we felt there was personal growth, not just the absence of doing boneheaded things. Not saying he hasn’t grown up, but people need to see it to change their minds.
He’s never going to figure it out.
That’s still the topic because you have barely been on the court since then to give a anyone anything else to talk about zzzz.
Because hes bad at basketball now
For real? He did the gun schtick like 5 times.
Because he still does gun and grenade gestures and shit. He won’t let people forget it.
Nothing’s happened since 😂 this fool
Maybe Ja, that is exactly why you are where you are now. You blew up the Grizzlies. They were a young up and coming team who had a lot of talent, and his antics caused them to blow it up. Unpopular opinion I’m sure.
I view him as a stupid guy, not a bad guy.
if this dude quits drinking he can save his career
He did what he did in the past….then like a year later did almost the exact same thing.
Good guy Ja
Keeps making gun celebrations on the court. Then said ‘nothing’s happened since’ — stop bringing it up yourself?
Smooooooooth
(brain)
This dude is dumb af. I give him 4 more years MAYBE, then he will be locked up for doing stupid shit
“years later” = 2.5 years ago lol
Bad guy Ja Good guy Tremetrius
It’s because you show no remorse or contrition regarding your acts. You’ve even leaned into and made it a marketing ploy with the whole, “let me be Ja” shit on your shoes. Then you select NBA Youngboy to narrate your commercial. The gun and grenade celebrations are also telling. Like he can’t be that dense.
Its one thing if it happened just once, when it happens multiple times then ofc people will have an image of you. Behavior is a pattern
Your image isn’t made up of what you’re doing so much as what you’ve done.
And like he said, nothings happened since. People have literally nothing else to talk about when it comes to him.
People in the real world don’t care, only chronically online nerds. Hence the comment section.
Wasted potential.
What he fails to acknowledge is that winning cures it all. The fact he has been injured and have not evolved his craft is the reason. No one cares if he is a dumpster fire if he performs and win games.
The tossing the grenade celebration doesn’t help.
Ja has done some incredibly immature things, but some of you guys act like he’s an unreformable criminal. As far as NBA players who have done shitty things off the court does Ja even crack the top 20
“And so I PULL OUT MY GUN!”
I genuinely want this new stop to work out for him and give him a second lease on things
Puffy, bloated ass face. Guy needs to detox.
Ja taking shots at the media
Because he keeps the conversation alive by trolling people with grenade / gun / bazooka scoring celebrations.
Him making it light of it shows he has not grasped the severity of what he did, and still has some growing up to do.
Today he learned: actions have consequences
When yall gonna understand he just don’t care about basketball he’s just showing up for his check same as Zion yes they were good but in reality a couple highlight reels from these guys got them 100 million plus
Years later lolz
Also his bigger problem is he can’t shoot and his athleticism is fading
Ask the coaching staff.
Sir, you celebrate baskets by mock shooting a gun
Dude just discovered consequences.
Just win bro, that solves everything. Not saying the whole thing, just produce and hopefully win.
Show up between the lines and it’ll be forgotten
Everytime he apologizes or says the right things a video drop so I’m expecting a live with him flashing a stinger missile
So we are supposed to just ignore him continuing to do gun gestures after getting fines for doing gun gestures
Definitely not a bad guy, just young and dumb. But growth will be the big defining moment for him. It starts now, a new location to show it.
Says the guy who was warned to not make shotgun/grenade gestures and just kept doing more….and this was last year.
Yall treat this guy like he is a criminal
79 games in the past 3 seasons is why the league soured on him. He put basketball way low on his priorities. As a memphis fan he basically stole money these last two years.
I want him to do well and find some success. Hope he understands someday why people were upset with him.
Welvome to Portland Gun Blazers
His real names Clarence.
The truth is if he stayed healthy and played remotely close to how he did before Noone would talk about it. Because peak Morant was electric, and scary to many teams. I wish the best for him because he is such a great player and so fun to watch. Seems like he’s got his head right now too.
Jailblazers are back, baby!
He followed up an otherwise reasonable claim by saying he would “point a gun at the next person that argued otherwise.”
I my experience when bad guys are told not to do the finger guns celebration they escalate it to charade grenades celebration.
And that’s when you know he isn’t the guy to represent your team. Like how hard is it to be rich and play ball and not make a hand gesture. If I was the gm I wouldn’t even want to hear his excuse ship him out. No one is bigger than the franchise
Oh shoot!
I need to see Ja healthy. Hate him or not, He is a electric player,
that button-down polo is doing a lot of work
I’m really hoping he has turned things around. He’s an amazing athlete.
He didn’t even do anything bad, just stupid. It’s not illegal to own a gun. It is stupid to flaunt it and flash it around tho.