The Ja Morant controversy took the NBA world by storm. Morant, who’s currently facing several changes of misconduct, is now also facing a 25-game suspension. The NBA commissioner took matters into his own hands and suspended him for the 2023-24 season. His absence might pose trouble for his team, Memphis Grizzlies in the upcoming season. However, amidst all this drama, many notable NBA figures are speaking out.

The most recent statement is by a veteran ‘Wizard’, who defends Morant’s detrimental acts. The display of empathy comes from his own 50-game suspension in the past.

NBA veteran defends Ja Morant

The Morant and his detrimental conduct have been discussed at length across the fraternity. For obvious reasons, it puts him under scrutiny. And the conversations surrounding him do not seem to go away. Even before his ban verdict, most of the comments coming in about the player are speculative.

Now that the ban’s been implemented, there are statements making the rounds on the internet that seem to justify Morant’s actions. Of course, there’s no one winning side to the issue. But, a veteran, also a 3x-NBA All-Star is pretty defensive about Morant. The Wizards legend is standing up for the young player.

Gilbert Arenas sat down with the host of VLAD TV, talking about the Grizzlies star.

Arenas talks about Morant and the entire situation he’s going through. He says that it results from the unreal expectations that people have of athletes. Arenas justifies Morant’s firearm incident by saying, “There’s no f**king rule.”

According to Gilbert, there are no rules in the league that dictate what an athlete can or cannot do. He further adds that the “sportsmen-like conduct,” that’s expected of all athletes isn’t defined properly. The 41-year-old added that an athlete is supposed to protect “the brand” and not do “dumb sh*t.” 

The NBA veteran said that he can’t condemn someone over “what could’ve happened” and for doing what they want, without harming someone.

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Gilbert Arenas’ story goes parallel to Ja Morant’s

Morant’s current situation and Arenas’ past run parallel. The situation that he’s facing now is like what Gilbert faced earlier. Like Morant, Alenas too, “allegedly” got firearms in the locker room. For the same, he also faced a strict suspension.

The veteran player still feels regret over his past actions, saying that it affected his image. In fact, he further adds that there were many other consequences. Not only did he face a 50-game suspension, but he lost his deal with Adidas and lost approximately $40 million because of the same.

So, while being a little sympathetic towards Morant, Arenas is also condemning his actions at the same time. He says, waving firearms is a dumb activity, and this is exactly why he’s facing penalties!

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What do you think of Arenas’ comments for Morant? Do you think it’s right to be sympathetic to him? Let us know in the comments below.