Ja Morant’s Sneakers Appear to Have Been Scrubbed From Nike’s App
Ja Morant’s signature sneakers appear to no longer be available on Nike’s website and app after a second video of the Memphis Grizzlies guard holding what appeared to be a gun circulated on social media.
Robb Report and other news outlets noticed the two-time All-Star’s Nike Ja 1 athletic shoes are no longer listed on the brand’s app or online. The kicks were very popular, having sold out the very first day they hit the scene. However, his presence isn’t completely gone from the shoe company’s website; it is still listing a Ja 1 ”Hunger” red and blue colorway, set to be released May 25, and a few T-shirts featuring the guard’s logo for the company. Nike did not immediately respond to inquiries from Robb Report about the status of its partnership with Morant.
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Robb Report was also unable to find Morant’s shoe on the Finish Line app, an omission also noted by other media outlets. An inquiry sent to the retailer about the sneakers wasn’t immediately returned.
This is the second time in less than three months that the basketball player has been seen on Instagram holding what seems to be a weapon. In the latest video, which was widely shared on social media, Morant was seen in a passenger seat of a vehicle briefly appearing to hold a handgun. The player has since released an apology for the incident.
“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in a statement, according to The New York Times. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”
As a result of the social media post, Morant has been suspended from all Grizzlies activities pending another NBA review, the team said in a statement. NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told AP, “We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information.”
Back in early March, there was an NBA investigation that found that Morant was live-streaming a video while “holding a firearm in an intoxicated state” while visiting a Denver-area nightclub. He was given an eight-game suspension without pay, which cost him about $669,000 in salary, The Associated Press reported. Following that incident, Coca-Cola–owned Powerade pulled his ad almost immediately.
In the same month, The Washington Post reported that Morant punched a 17-year-old during a basketball game at the NBA player’s house, leaving a “large knot” on his head. The teenager reportedly told detectives that after the altercation, Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a firearm visible in the waistband of his pants. In a statement to the paper, the guard’s agent called the allegations “unsubstantiated rumors and gossip.” Morant was not charged after the incident.
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