We’ve all been told about “that life” and the “thug life” from hip hop and our friends and family. And in almost every example, those lives never have a happy ending.
We witnessed the repercussions of the thug life with the murders of Biggie and Tupac.
We saw how “that life” almost ended the career of Jay-Z after he stabbed Lance “Un” Rivera over a beef that derived from either accusations of bootlegging or feelings for rapper Charli Baltimore.
We watched as it took years away from the dynamic career of Michael Vick after his involvement in dog fighting.
In these incidents, and almost every other incident involving ego, attitude and the inability to see the big picture, people were hurt and lives were changed. Some temporarily but for others and their families, permanently.
“That life” has permeated the lives of far too many young Black men, and many aren’t fortunate enough to escape the harsh reality it unscathed.
Some are innocent bystanders. Others are products of their environment or reluctant participants in the street culture that sweeps up and discards without hesitation.
The latest example is NBA superstar, Ja Morant.
The Memphis Grizzlies star’s NBA ascent is well documented. A mostly unheralded player from South Carolina who rose to become an All-American at Murray State and the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. And he hasn’t looked back since.
Not until recently, that is.
Being “About That Life” Always Ends Badly
Last week, Morant was accused of threatening the head of security at a mall in Memphis last summer.
The confrontation came after Morant’s mother was involved in a dispute at a Foot Locker in the mall and when Ja and his crew showed up, things escalated from there. According to the police report, after police arrived and things were settling down, Morant said “let me find out what time he gets off.” That frightened the security guard and caused him to file a police report.
Less than a week after the mall incident, Ja was accused of punching a 17-year-old boy and brandishing a gun at a pickup game in Memphis.
Then came the postgame incident between the Grizzlies and Pacers in which Pacers players accused Ja’s crew of flashing a red laser at them from an SUV, which led them to believe a gun was in their vehicle.
Those incidents snowballed into the massively serious situation Ja is now embroiled in.
First, he brandished a gun at a Colorado nightclub while going live on IG. That display of foolishness spurred Colorado authorities and the NBA to investigate whether the Grizzlies star brought the gun onto team property, which is absolutely prohibited by the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Section 9. Firearms and Other Weapons. (a) Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind or any other deadly weapon. For purposes of the foregoing, “a facility or venue” includes, but is not limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or NBA Playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.
(c) Any violation of Section 9(a) or Section 9(b) above shall be considered conduct prejudicial to the NBA under Article 35(d) of the NBA Constitution and By-Laws, and shall therefore subject the player to discipline by the NBA in accordance with such Article.
As backlash ensued, the team tweeted that “Ja Morant will be away from the team for at least the next two games.”
But now Morant is facing a potential punishment that could include a $1 million fine and a possible 50-game or indefinite suspension.
All for doing the very thing that many others like him- young, Black and famous- paid the price for doing.
Ja Morant’s mistake is not unique, yet that makes it worse because the deterrents were there for him to learn from.
To his credit, he acknowledged his massive mistake and owned up to it.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” said Morant in a statement. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. 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.”
That’s good, but Ja is old enough and raised well enough to know better.
He should have listened to MC Lyte when she said “You ain’t guarding the door, so what you got a gun for,” on Self-Destruction.
He should have read about how hanging with the wrong crowd almost cost Ray Lewis his career and decades in prison.
Most importantly, he needs to recognize that being a rich and powerful Black man and athlete comes with great responsibility.
And that it also makes him a target.
“Real G’s Move in Silence like Lasagna”
Lil’ Wayne told us “real G’s move in silence like lasagna”
Weezy, like most from that generation of hip hop, understood that you don’t have to live your life for all to see. You don’t have to live the life you portray in a music video. You can leave “that life” behind as you mature and become successful. That’s the only way you’ll continue to be successful, for “that life” will eventually drag you and everything you’ve worked for down if you don’t distance yourself from it.
Is it easy? No, especially because you don’t want to lose those you came up with.
But look at LeBron, who came from a much more dire situation than Ja and made it.
That’s who Ja and his crew should be looking to for guidance. LeBron succeeded in part because he surrounded himself with the right crew, and they in turn lifted him up, protected him and shielded him from the dumb stuff.
When you’re part of a star’s intimate circle, you’re supposed to be the buffer. Unfortunately, Ja’s friends failed in their duties.
But Ja failed too.
Ja Morant is a product of his environment, which was a good one. His life won’t excite media outlets thirsting for a “ghetto” laced storyline. He was raised right by two great parents and attended a good school. He worked hard, forged his path and made it into a career that has one of the lowest entry rates of any career in the world.
Ja Morant and his inner circle have made the right choices that got him to where he is today.
But last week, he chose poorly.
That choice, which wasn’t illegal or criminal, shouldn’t define him though. His antics were simply dumb choices, something many 20-year-olds are prone to.
But he chose to bring the gun to a club and, possibly, onto team property.
And he made the choice to flaunt it on video.
If Ja understood his status and what he stood to lose, the choice would have been simple.
Leave the gun and “that life” at home and go out and enjoy yourself without letting the world know what you’re doing.
Jay-Z rapped, in part, “I’ll never make the news again.”
Let’s hope Ja listens to those who made similar mistakes so he doesn’t stumble again.
