Grizzlies great sends message to Ja Morant

May 20, 2023

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Feb 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after a play during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Amid mounting trouble for Ja Morant, he is getting a message from none other than The Grindfather.

Retired Memphis Grizzlies great Tony Allen appeared this week on Kevin Garnett’s show “KG Certified” and shared some advice for the embattled current Grizzlies All-Star Morant. The 23-year-old Morant recently put himself back in hot water with another gun-flashing video (see here).

“I’ll definitely tell him [that] guns are not one of those things you play with,” Allen said of Morant, per the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I just think if he got that fear of holding a gun, he should be in much need of security.”

“More so than anything, you gotta be properly planning your movements,” Allen went on. “When you out and about, and you definitely think you need a gun or you need places to go that you need a gun, you might not need to be going to those places. I say that from experience … I been through some of everything of what he’s trying to portray. It can get rough.”

The 41-year-old Allen also said that he reaches out to Morant’s father Tee “every day” in the hopes of offering guidance to the Grizzlies point guard.

Allen, a Chicago native, is a beloved Grizzlies icon who made six career All-Defensive Teams with Memphis and got his No. 9 jersey retired by the team (with an official ceremony still to come). But Allen has also gotten into his fair share of trouble over the years, including after retirement.

A big difference here though is that Allen was a role player who “only” made a bit over $40 million in 14 NBA seasons. Morant, an All-NBA talent whose next contract alone will pay him almost $200 million, has a lot more to lose (some of which he may have already lost). As such, Morant could definitely use some guidance from an older figure like Allen to get his act straight.