Brandon Dill / Associated Press
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant apologized Sunday for sharing a controversial image on social media:
Ja Morant @ @JaMorant
‼ ️✊🏽 https://t.co/WU6AEKuDa0
The original post, which has since been removed, featured an image of Morant in his 12th shirt edited to read “F – k 12”, which has become a common message of disdain for police. The “12” refers to narcotics.
According to TMZ Sports, Morant posted the image on Twitter with the title “I want to date in my sweater fr “.
The 20-year-old clarified his message on Sunday, stating in part:
“My post was intended to focus on the bad cops who got away with murdering unarmed black men and women, and those who continue to harass the peaceful protesters of BLACK LIVES … The police have taken too many lives from Blacks could have been avoided. You can see me as just a basketball player and I may lose fans by taking a stand, but I won’t be silent. “
Morant is one of several NBA players who have used his platform to talk about social issues in the past month following the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.
The Murray State product sent a letter to a judge in Kentucky requesting the removal of a Confederate statue near its former university:
Kavitha A. Davidson @ @kavithadavidson
Take a minute to read Ja Morant’s plea to tear down the Confederate statue in his university town https://t.co/jtumz2bboM
Morant has become a star in the NBA after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The guard enters the season restarted in the league with averages of 17.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, which makes him the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
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