NBA fans witnessed the Ja Morant saga unfold in front of their eyes last season. One after the other, the controversies kept pouring in and eventually reached a breaking point. Morant was suspended from the league and remains suspended for the first 25 games of this new season. While the Memphis Grizzlies will surely be affected by it, even the legends have had enough of his antics. Charles Barkley is chief among them.
Although this is not the first time that Sir Charles has discussed Morant, he surely had a lot to say this time. Scolding the 24-year-old for acting like a “fool”, Barkley laid out the important points Morant has overlooked till now.
Charles Barkley scolds Ja Morant for his off-court behavior
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Barkley is a veteran of the game, and with that, he feels a sense of responsibility to teach the younger generation as much as he can. The Grizzlies star is not the only athlete he has had some tough words for. Sir Charles always keeps it real as far as an athlete’s mentality goes. As per the Philadelphia 76ers legend, being a professional basketball player is ‘easier’ when compared to some real jobs in the world. Recently he tried to impart the same wisdom to Morant.
He said, “[The] kid is getting paid close to $100 million and the only thing you have to do is don?t be a fool. Just play basketball. Ain?t like it?s a real job.”?As per Barkley, the 24-year-old is messing up his reputation while also taking a serious hit on his salary and endorsement fee.
He said “Kid can?t be that stupid”, to not see the hundreds of millions he earns while playing basketball. While it will take Morant some time to get back on court, his team is facing the brunt of his absence.
The Grizzlies in Ja Morant’s absence
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There is no denying the fact that the 2x All-Star is one of the key players on the Grizzlies roster. His insane athletic abilities can put any team he represents, on an advantage.
So while he is missing games due to suspension, the Memphis franchise has had a subpar start to their season. During their preseason matchups, the Grizzlies only managed to win two games, while losing their last three preseason games.
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Now that the regular season has started, they suffered defeat in their first game against the New Orleans Pelicans. They will face the defending champions, Denver Nuggets, in tonight’s game.
Watch This Story: After Police Checked Ja Morant?s ?Wellness?, Charles Barkley Calls Out $80 Million Worth NBA Star on Pat McAfee Show