Twitter lit up Sunday with a back-and-forth on Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant’s second suspension for allegedly brandishing a gun.
The conversation was ignited by comedian Andrew Schulz, who asked, “If guns are legal why is Ja Morant in trouble?”
If guns are legal why is Ja Morant in trouble?
— Andrew Schulz 👑HEZI (@andrewschulz) May 14, 2023
Schulz’s question comes after a new video emerged showing Morant – yet again – appearing to brandish a firearm during a live stream.
JaMorant pic.twitter.com/XqJFwEOHTj
— James Burnes (@JamesBurnes8) May 14, 2023
Ja Morant was allegedly seen showing off a gun on IG Live yesterday 😳 pic.twitter.com/fdhjBbIn9c
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 14, 2023
Many Twitter users who responded to Schulz’s question did so by suggesting the question is not whether Morant’s behavior was illegal but whether it was prohibited by his employer.
For example, Twitter user John Taylor tweeted, “He’s not in legal trouble he’s in trouble with his employer who paid him over $200,000,000 and explicitly told him not to do that after last time he did that.”
He’s not in legal trouble he’s in trouble with his employer who paid him over $200,000,000 and explicitly told him not to do that after last time he did that.
— John Taylor (@CleverBrevity29) May 14, 2023
Nerd King Actual tweeted, “Because it violates his contract.”
Because it violates his contract.
— VES | RG NerdKingActual (@NerdKingActual) May 14, 2023
And Deronte Adams noted:
NBA is a private entity. He’s employed by them. They can say they don’t want to be represented that way just like your job can tell you that you cannot bring a gun to work or to make sure you represent them in a great manner when you out. Just that simple.
— Deronte Adams (@CallMe_Kratos) May 15, 2023
Dillon Standridge wrote, “Because his employer, NBA/Grizzlies, asked him not to flash weapons and he continues to disrespect them.”
Because his employer, NBA/Grizzlies, asked him not to flash weapons and he continues to disrespect them.
— Dillon Standridge (@DStandridge92) May 14, 2023
A Twitter user named Alex focused more on the damage brandishing a gun does for advertisers, tweeting, “True, but he’s in trouble by the advertisers. His sponsors are then sponsors of the NBA and they don’t want their brand being tarnished. Corporations and advertisers are the rulers, unfortunately.”
A Twitter user named Tim went a completely different direction with his response to Schulz’s question, suggesting the NBA does not support black men having guns for self-defense. He tied his tweet to comments from President Joe Biden, who pushed gun control during his commencement speech at Howard University, one of America’s HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities).
Tim tweeted, “The NBA ain’t with black men protecting themselves. That’s why Joe Biden went so hard on disarming people at an HBCU.”
The nba ain’t with black men protecting themselves. That’s why @JoeBiden went so hard on disarming people @ an HBCU.
— Tim (@timguy223) May 15, 2023
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010. and he holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.