Memphis Grizzlies rookie sensation Ja Morant issued an apology after sharing a post that contained a derogatory message to law enforcement.
Morant, 20, reposted an image of him taken from behind, in which the area on the jersey that usually has his last name was replaced with the word “F—,” according to ESPN. His jersey number is 12, so the jersey reads “F— 12,” which is an anti-police slang term. He captioned the photo, which he posted on both Twitter and his Instagram story, “Nah [for real] though,” with emojis.
“I want to first apologize for reposting something that didn’t clearly and accurately convey what I wanted to share,” he wrote after deleting the controversial post. “My post was intended to focus on the bad cops who get away with the murder of unarmed Black men and women, and those who continue to harass peaceful BLACK LIVES MATTER protestors.”
Ja Morant has a jersey statement in mind. ? pic.twitter.com/rkN3iNemLF
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) June 28, 2020
“I know there are good cops ’12’ out there. I know some, and a few are family. I am thankful to the cops at Murray State who took care of me and the cops who continue to watch over me with the Grizzlies. We NEED good cops to step up and make sure other cops are not abusing their power,” Morant continued. “There have been too many Black lives taken by police that could have been prevented. You may see me as just a basketball player and I may lose fans for taking a stand, but I won’t stay silent.”
In his apology, Morant also brought up the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot and killed after police executed a no-knock warrant to enter her home after midnight in March during an attempted narcotics raid.
He added, “BLACK LIVES MATTER!! Where’s the justice for Breonna Taylor?? And the other countless innocent Black lives that have been taken at the hands of dirty cops with no convictions?”
There have been reports that the NBA and the player’s association are nearing an agreement that would allow players to customize their jerseys with personalized social justice or charity messages on the backs instead of their last names should the season resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.
