Lil Wayne Weighs In On Ja Morant

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Lil Wayne Performs At The Wiltern
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 13: Rapper Lil Wayne performs onstage during the final night of the 'Welcome to Tha Carter' tour at The Wiltern on May 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Lil Wayne gave a nuanced take about the disgraced Grizzlies star.

Everyone seems to have a take on Ja Morant's situation. The Memphis Grizzlies superstar was suspended by the team on May 14 after a video of the guard flashing a gun on Instagram Live surfaced online. Morant served an eight-game suspension in March after a similar incident in a Denver nightclub. While the NBA has publicly responded, with Commissioner Adam Silver saying he was "shocked" by the incident, the league is yet to formally punish Morant.

As mentioned, everyone seems to have a take on the situation. Speaking on ESPN, JJ Redick called for Morant to only receive a doubling of his original suspension. Meanwhile, people like BlocBoy JB have publicly defended Morant. However, there is a wide variety of people, such as Charles Barkley, who have strongly condemned Morant's behavior.

Lil Wayne Explains Ja Morant Won't Change

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up before play against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Speaking on the All The Smoke podcaster, co-hosted by Morant detractor Stephen Jackson, Wayne broke down why Morant's behavior is unlikely to change. “In a lot of situations like this, when we’re all talking about it, the actual people we’re talking about, they purposely stay away from this,” said Wayne. “And there are people protecting them that’s gonna hear it for them and gonna protect them from hearing it. “So it’s hard for the message to get through. You got people looking dead in the camera on TV like, ‘I’m talking to you, Ja.’ It’s hard for the message to get through because I’m the breadwinner. I wish a n***a would tell me something.”

Wayne also pointed to Morant's life journey as another reason why his behavior is to be expected. “He comes from a town of like 3000 people. What y’all expect? Y’all gave him $200 million. I just said a town with 3000 people. You expect him to be responsible? Nah, we’re tripping then… That’s magic.” Morant grew up in Dalzell, South Carolina which has a population of around 3000, as Wayne noted. He played collegiately at Murray State, a mid-major school in Kentucky. But now he's the face of an NBA franchise on a contract worth $194 million. The Ja Morant situation is a developing story and any updates can be found here on HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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