Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is facing a 25-game suspension from the NBA to start next season, for conduct detrimental to the league.
Morant’s suspension came after he flaunted a firearm on social media for the second time, in May. Many have been critical of the Grizzlies star following his repeat offense. That includes podcaster and media personality DJ Akademiks, who recently attributed Morant’s irresponsible behavior to his fandom of rapper NBA YoungBoy.
During an appearance on VladTV, DJ Akademiks called Morant stupid and said that trying to emulate NBA YoungBoy has cost him millions:
“Let me tell you how stupid Ja Morant is,” DJ Akademiks said. “NBA YoungBoy’s new contract is like $40 million to record like five albums. You lost $40 million trying to be like NBA YoungBoy. He’d need to record like five albums just to get the money you just lost.”
DJ Akademiks added that if Morant was such a big fan of NBA YoungBoy, he should have just used his money to host a private concert at his home.
He also said that Morant acting like a wannabe gangster is only hurting his career:
“Here’s my thing, you love NBA YoungBoy so much,
bro, just book him to do a concert at your crib, or you go to his crib,” DJ Akademiks said.
He added:
“That’s my thing, like, they always say that basketball players want to be rappers, and rappers want to be basketball players.
But he’s the living example of, I think in his head, he’s a thug, like he’s a gangster.
“I think he’s cosplaying as this gangster, like, he wants to be YoungBoy, or he wants to be the perception of YoungBoy.
So, he listens to YoungBoy’s music, and I guarantee if you ask him, he’ll probably say, ‘YoungBoy’s a killer. You wanna be a killer.'”
DJ Akademiks says Ja Morant should be blamed for his actions, not those around him
Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant© Provided by Sportskeeda NBA
Many have also put the blame for Ja Morant’s behavior on his friends and family, alleging that they have not been positive role models.
However, according to DJ Akademiks, Morant should be blamed for his own actions.
That comes as the Grizzlies star is the one who decided to pull out a gun on camera for the second time:
“I don’t like how people keep blaming everybody around him,” DJ Akademiks said.
“If I was around him, I would be like, ‘First of all, we don’t tell this dumb motherf**ker to pull out a gun every 20 seconds. We ain’t tell him to do it. …
It’s a like a magnet, as soon as we pull our phones out, he pulls (his gun) out. Like, it ain’t our fault.'”