NBA star and Nike pitchman Ja Morant has been suspended following the release of a video that showed the player holding a gun in a strip club over the weekend. Now, Nike has issued a statement saying they “support” their embattled client despite his actions.
Morant, 23, will miss the next two games after this video on Instagram showing him holding a firearm in a strip club.
4kt Ja in the Skrip club wit the blicky. pic.twitter.com/mFEOvZ5MVY
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) March 4, 2023
Nike issued the following statement after Morant’s suspension, according to 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
Holding a gun in a strip club is not the only issue facing Morant. The Memphis Grizzlies star is also facing a lawsuit accusing him of repeatedly punching a teenager and displaying a firearm.
Though, Morant’s agent claims he was acting in self-defense.
“I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire organization for letting you down,” Morant said following his suspension. “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.”
“In December, Morant became the 23rd player to have a signature shoe created by Nike, the Ja 1, which was released in February,” the New York Post reports.
Nike immediately came under fire for their statement of support for Morant. MLB pitcher Marcus Stroman took to Twitter and took Nike to task for supporting Morant despite his serious and dangerous actions and the company’s decision to cut ties with Kyrie Irving for posting a link to an antisemitic video.
Kyrie posted a link with zero comments and they ended his contract. I always knew Nike was trash. Thankful to be free from any of these companies! 🗣️ @_shugo https://t.co/1wUPKgctRT
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) March 5, 2023
Others echoed Stroman’s point on Twitter:
Nike really chose Ja Morant over Kyrie pic.twitter.com/ZlkGksjtpr
— َ (@FeelLikeDrew) March 4, 2023
While Irving’s actions certainly justify Nike cutting ties with him, it is more than a little bit troublesome that Nike apparently views the violent allegations against Morant and the posting of a very concerning video of him displaying a gun as not worthy of cutting ties with him.
Of course, considering Nike still does business with Communist China while continuing to espouse human rights, maybe the contradiction doesn’t seem that bad to them.
“Morant will miss matchups against the Clippers and Lakers on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively,” the New York Post reports.