Ja Morant is in hot water after he was shown on social media over the weekend toting a firearm, despite pulling a similar stunt just two months ago. Those in the sports world have been quick to diminish the Memphis Grizzlies star, who was once again involved in a gun-related incident.
But not JJ Redick.
While Redick admitted during Wednesday morning’s First Take that Morant deserved punishment, he questioned why the 23-year-old superstar should be dealt with differently than those who tout gun culture in the United States during a fiery rant.
JJ Redick asks “Why are we trying to lay down the hammer on a 23-year-old who didn’t break a law?” when there’s no consequence for Greg Abbott telling people to buy more guns pic.twitter.com/dUc8imA9dj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 17, 2023
“As far as we know, all of these things have been investigated and no law has been broken,” Redick said of the gun-related incidents that Morant has been linked to in recent months. “I’m not condoning the behavior. I’m not saying there should be no punishment. There should be. There should be consequences. You are the face of the league, you are representing the NBA, you are a role model to young kids. I don’t think half a season is the right answer.”
“We talk about consequences,” Redick continued. “In our country right now, gun culture is pervasive. It’s pervasive, we’ve got mass shooting after mass shooting and nobody’s doing a damn thing about it. So I get why we’re so sensitive to this right now, but there’s no consequence for Greg Abbott telling his constituents that they should go buy more guns, and then we have mass shooting after mass shooting in Texas. There’s no consequence for an elected Tennessee official to send out a Christmas card holding AR-15s with his young family and then there’s a shooting in his very district, there’s no consequences to that! So why are we trying to lay down the hammer on a 23-year-old who didn’t break a law? Explain that to me!”
Redick’s passionate monologue received a lot of reactions from both sides of the aisle on social media:
Abbott’s evil aside: JJ will defend today’s player no matter what. Abbott is the shiny object to take the focus off Ja. It’s the NBA’s role to police bad behavior. Was what Paul Pierce did illegal? No. But he quickly got erased by ESPN. https://t.co/Uy2NyfEEiJ
— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) May 17, 2023
this is a stupid comparison….stop with the whataboutisms…ja morant needs help and support, not enabling of bad behavior https://t.co/RwXSmfb00M
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) May 17, 2023
You people are being so ridiculous you are making me agree with JJ Redick and I hate every one of you for making me nod my head with a Duke man. https://t.co/Yc45Pz3PVQ
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) May 17, 2023
He’s got a point! https://t.co/7J8tdDFBxe
— Dan Shafer (@DanRShafer) May 17, 2023
JJ Redick is talking like a guy that is going to he a Head Coach in the NBA soon https://t.co/qkurzYVw26
— Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) May 17, 2023
JJ Redick is often praised for being so cerebral, so analytical, so prepared- unlike Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless, who have the nerve to focus on being *shudder* entertaining. All I got was the sense that he was a sanctimonious prick.
It looks like we have confirmation. https://t.co/q1wb27wiHq
— Scotty P 🎸 (@Scott_7791) May 17, 2023
— Adrian Dater (@adater) May 17, 2023
This whataboutism is beyond tiring. https://t.co/FEzBQFYesV
— John Varlas (@johnvarlas) May 17, 2023
Under normal circumstances I would 100% agree with JJ Reddick that a racist double standard was in play. But Ja was in trouble within the last year for brandishing a gun at and punching a 17 year old. It’s an awful look for him to be brandishing a gun on social media. https://t.co/7fEy2ja7Fx
— FrankInGeneral 🔴⛈️ (@frankingeneral) May 17, 2023
