One former Memphis Grizzlies player thinks that Ja Morant needs to cool it with the Gilbert Arenas energy.
The newly-reinstated Grizzlies guard Morant made headlines on Tuesday with his celebration after a game-clinching dunk in overtime against New Orleans. Morant came down from the rim and began doing what appeared to be finger-gun gestures before seemingly mimicking having an RPG on his shoulder (see the video here).
Morant’s celebration did not sit well with retired ex-NBA forward Chandler Parsons, who played for the Grizzlies from 2016-19.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Parsons in an appearance on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” “You gotta grow up … What else has to happen for you and your family and your friends to learn? Just make this about basketball, make this about your life, make this about your livelihood, and stop doing things like this … Don’t give us any of this other bulls–t to talk about.”
You can watch Parsons’ full rant below.
"What else has to happen for you, and your family and your friends, to learn? Make this about basketball, make this about your life, make this about your livelihood, and stop doing things like this."@ChandlerParsons reacts to Ja Morant's celebration.
📺:… pic.twitter.com/QMicXnox8M
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 27, 2023
Parsons is correct in that Morant, who just returned from his second NBA suspension for flashing a weapon on social media, had already been doing a good-enough job of putting all that behind him. The Grizzlies are 4-0 since Morant returned from suspension, and Morant himself is averaging 28.8 points and 8.5 assists per game over that span (including some absolutely electric highlights along the way).
Even if only for a few seconds in the thrill of competition, Morant seemingly making light of his gun issues calls into question whether he even matured at all as a result of the entire saga. A concerning report emerged over the summer about Morant’s reaction to his second suspension, and it looks like maybe those concerns were warranted.
