ja morant

Niya Morant Announces College Commitment

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Ja Morant has dominated basketball headlines this week. The superstar guard was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies after a video of him flashing a gun on a live stream went viral. The NBA is yet to hand down a punishment to Morant, who was suspended for the same offense earlier in the year.

However, Morant is not the only hooper in the family. His 18-year-old sister Teniya has also been turning heads on the court. Her play has been featured on a number of outlets like ESPN. Many have compared her style of play to her brother’s, who was the #2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Furthermore, she recently announced where she will be taking her talent on the NCAA stage.

Teniya Morant Commits To Mississippi Valley State

In an Instagram post, the 5″7 Morant announced that she had committed to Mississippi Valley State of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. While not heavily recruited, Morant did also receive an offer from Grambling State. Morant averaged 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee. Founded in 1950, Mississippi Valley State is an HBCU located near the town of Itta Bena. The women’s basketball team is coached by second-year head coach Kimberly Anderson. Prior to Mississippi Valley State, Anderson had spent seven years at Division II Lane College. Mississippi Valley State is by no means a current SWAC powerhouse. They last won the SWAC regular season title in 2012 and the conference tournament in 1993. Currently, Jackson State rules supreme over the conference and has since 2020.

During the 2022-23 season, the Devilettes went 2-27, only beating Nicholls (5-24) and New Orleans (8-20). However, there’s every chance Mississippi Valley State turns their fortunes around. Furthermore, the NCAA’s one-time transfer exemption would allow Morant to explore the transfer portal if at any point she feels like she needs a change of scenery. While her brother had the benefit of the NBA’s “one and done” college rule, he also attended a mid-major college at Murray State. And who knows, maybe the Morant siblings will one day join the exclusive list of WNBA-NBA sibling pairings. Regardless, the team here at HotNewHipHop wishes Morant all the best in her freshman season.

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Symba Shares “Top G” Single After Speaking Out On Ja Morant Scandal

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Symba is one of the most exciting voices from the Bay Area, and on Friday (May 19) he showed off that skill in a couple of different ways. First, he shared his boisterous, triumphant, and perceptive new track “Top G,” in which he spits about the life he came from and the contrast from the life he lives now. In fact, he takes specific aim at the differences between living a street-oriented life in rap and how rappers can make even more money from it as a result. Over a horn-heavy beat and booming bass and percussion, the 24-year-old rhymer gave fans a focused, well-paced, and deceptively profound comparison. However, that wasn’t the only way in which he reflected on these themes this week.

In addition, he also shared a snippet of a track or verse on Instagram that centers around the Ja Morant controversy, where he flashed a gun for the second time in two months and faced another suspension from the Memphis Grizzlies. With that topic in mind, Symba is able to speak on these themes of street life and wealth in a specific way. “But I get it, this life we living is different,” he raps. “We flex in front of the cameras to show the ghetto we did it. Some of us like to flex, just to show the rest they can get it. But you glorifying a life you ain’t really out here living. I mean my n***a, you up 200 million, and you about to risk it all to show n***as you bought a pistol.

Read More: Lil Wayne Weighs In On Ja Morant

Symba Spits A Heartfelt Reflection On The Ja Morant Situation

“I blame the culture we put you in this position,” he continued. “The music we that we making is influencing you young n***as’ decisions.” Strong words from an incredibly skilled lyricist and spitter. If you want to check out “Top G,” you can find it on your preferred streaming service, and check out some standout bars from the cut down below, as well as the music video. For more news and the latest updates on Symba, keep checking in with HNHH.

The Bay Area MC Is A “Top G”

Quotable Lyrics
I mean, look at Akademiks,
That n***a rich as most of you n***as out here killin’,
The rap game got f***ed up when street n***as realized
Rappers was making more money than drug dealers

Read More: Symba Shares Advice He Received From Dr. Dre

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Lil Wayne Had A Sage Reaction To The Ongoing Ja Morant Gun Controversy: ‘Do Y’all Know That Boy?’

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lil wayne
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It’s the playoffs and the Nuggets are up 2-0 over the Lakers, but it seems all anyone can talk about this week is Ja Morant and his ongoing inability to avoid being caught on camera showing off guns. Not only are sports commentators weighing in (that’s their job, after all), but even rappers like GloRilla and Vic Mensa are also sharing their thoughts. The latest hip-hop artist to contribute to the discussion is Lil Wayne, who had a much more patient outlook than many observers.

Appearing on Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast hosted by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (two of Morant’s finest forebears in the “NBA troublemaker” category), Wayne gave a considered, empathetic take, putting himself in Ja’s shoes and lending him the benefit of the doubt. Here’s the blockquote:

The best I could do is remember when I was younger and my homies, my squad, my n****s around me, at the age where they don’t have money. I’m the one with the money, and I don’t even know how much money I’ll end up with, but I’m the one with some money in my pocket — I know I got a bright future.

My homies, they ain’t on a payroll. They my homies, they live good when they with me. When I gotta go to work and all that, they gotta go back to being who they gotta be. So I’m saying that to say, they in them streets and I was aware of that. So if I was going through something at that point in time, something public what slime going through, I could imagine the rebellious attitude I would have if my homies is egging that attitude on.

In response to the oft-made point that Ja comes from a decent family, not the gritty streets he appears to want so desperately to appeal to, Wayne had one question: “Do y’all know that boy? ‘Cause I don’t.”

I know him from dunking and jumping, and I only started knowing him when I started paying attention to him in his last year of college. He come from a town with 3,000 people. Like, what? What y’all expect? Y’all gave him $200 million. I just said, a town with 3,000 people. You expect him to be responsible? Now we tripping. That’s magic. ‘Cause I could tell you now, I come from a real well-raised, beautiful mother, nice, you know what I mean? My mama would bust her ass to make sure everything around me was nice, and I still was a knucklehead. I shot myself. And that young man, I could imagine if I came from a f*cking place with 3,000 people and I became who I am.

Morant himself issued a statement earlier this week, saying, “I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me. This is a journey & 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.”

And while folks blame everything from Ja’s choice of friends to his love for rap music, let us not forget that the US is a nation with more guns than people, where many states continue to refuse common-sense legislation to prevent the frighteningly common mass shooting incidents that have plagued us since a national ban on assault weapons was repealed. So, let’s keep some perspective, yeah?

Lil Wayne Weighs In On Ja Morant

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Everyone seems to have a take on Ja Morant’s situation. The Memphis Grizzlies superstar was suspended by the team on May 14 after a video of the guard flashing a gun on Instagram Live surfaced online. Morant served an eight-game suspension in March after a similar incident in a Denver nightclub. While the NBA has publicly responded, with Commissioner Adam Silver saying he was “shocked” by the incident, the league is yet to formally punish Morant.

As mentioned, everyone seems to have a take on the situation. Speaking on ESPN, JJ Redick called for Morant to only receive a doubling of his original suspension. Meanwhile, people like BlocBoy JB have publicly defended Morant. However, there is a wide variety of people, such as Charles Barkley, who have strongly condemned Morant’s behavior.

Lil Wayne Explains Ja Morant Won’t Change

Ja Morant playing for the Memphis Grizzlies
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 28: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up before play against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Speaking on the All The Smoke podcaster, co-hosted by Morant detractor Stephen Jackson, Wayne broke down why Morant’s behavior is unlikely to change. “In a lot of situations like this, when we’re all talking about it, the actual people we’re talking about, they purposely stay away from this,” said Wayne. “And there are people protecting them that’s gonna hear it for them and gonna protect them from hearing it. “So it’s hard for the message to get through. You got people looking dead in the camera on TV like, ‘I’m talking to you, Ja.’ It’s hard for the message to get through because I’m the breadwinner. I wish a n***a would tell me something.”

Wayne also pointed to Morant’s life journey as another reason why his behavior is to be expected. “He comes from a town of like 3000 people. What y’all expect? Y’all gave him $200 million. I just said a town with 3000 people. You expect him to be responsible? Nah, we’re tripping then… That’s magic.” Morant grew up in Dalzell, South Carolina which has a population of around 3000, as Wayne noted. He played collegiately at Murray State, a mid-major school in Kentucky. But now he’s the face of an NBA franchise on a contract worth $194 million. The Ja Morant situation is a developing story and any updates can be found here on HotNewHipHop.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Ja Morant’s Sneakers Removed from Nike App After Second Gun Incident

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Less than a week following his NBA suspension for his second gun-flashing incident on video, Ja Morant’s Hunger Ja 1 sneakers have been taken off the Nike or Finish Line apps as of today(May 18). The sneakers have been out for less than a month, but are now no longer available for sale on those apps.

Morant’s t-shirts are still available and the Ja 1 “Hunger colorway is still listed as “upcoming” on the Nike website.

Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies indefinitely this past week for flashing a gun on Instagram Live for the second time in two months. He was suspended for eight games for flashing a gun in the same manner on IG at a strip club in Colorado.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Ja Morant’s Sneakers Removed from Nike App After Second Gun Incident appeared first on The Source.

Ja Morant Sneakers Taken Off Nike Website: Report

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Ja Morant has been in the news for all of the wrong reasons as of late. Overall, if you are an NBA fan, you know exactly what went down. After being told to quit flashing guns on Instagram, he did it again. Firstly, Morant was suspended eight games the first time he did it. However, he is now expected to be suspended for much longer. Fans are not happy at all with his behavior, with some even labeling him as a “moron.” Either way, this has been a horrible run for Ja Morant, whose Grizzlies were eliminated in the first round.

With a potential NBA suspension on the horizon, others have been interested in how this may affect his sponsorships. Of course, Morant is signed to Nike, and the brand is incredibly protective of its image. For instance, Kyrie Irving was let go by Nike after he shared an anti-Semitic film on Twitter. In regard to Nike, some have actually been critical of their support for Ja, and their lack of support for Irving. Subsequently, it now seems like Nike has taken this criticism into consideration.

Read More: Stephen Jackson Calls Ja Morant A “Moron”

More Trouble For Ja Morant

Ja Morant
Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up before play against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

According to TMZ, Nike has taken all of Ja Morant’s sneakers off of their website. There is a new Nike Ja 1 set to drop on May 25th, but for now, it remains on the website. However, if you want the other colorways, you are completely out of luck. Overall, this is a horrible development for Ja Morant. Although, it does not mean his partnership with the brand is over. It could simply mean that it is on pause until things get figured out.

At the end of the day, companies like the NBA and Nike have an image to protect. If they feel like an athlete is compromising that, they will cut ties. That said, more concrete updates on Ja’s standing will be coming soon. Let us know what you think of this latest update, in the comments section down below.

Read More: Vic Mensa Says He’s Praying For Ja Morant

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Charles Barkley Slams Ja Morant Defenders

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There has been a wide variety of reactions to the latest incident involving Ja Morant. Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies over the weekend after a new video of him flashing a gun on Instagram Live went viral. The superstar guard had previously served an eight-game suspension for the exact same thing earlier in the season.

A number of people, such as BlocBoy JB, have come out in support of Morant. Meanwhile, Vic Mensa didn’t explicitly support Morant, but said he hopes he overcomes this latest tribulation. However, a vast majority of people have spoken out against Morant. While there is a debate on how harshly he should be punished, the general consensus is that Morant was an idiot for what he did. Furthermore, repeating the exact same thing that previously got you suspended is only going to anger the League office. Now Charles Barkley has added his voice to the mix.

Barkley Calls Out Morant Supporters

Speaking on Inside the NBA, Barkley didn’t hold back when discussing Morant and his supporters. “We got some idiots, some fools, some jackasses on television that really just piss me off, talking about Ja should make a stand by saying he didn’t break any laws, he didn’t do anything wrong. Those guys are just freaking idiots,” Barkley said. “When you’re making $100 million a year to play sports, your life changes. There are certain rules and regulations that you have to live by. You can’t do stupid stuff. That’s the tradeoff.” Morant is set to make $33.5 million next season as part of a 5 year, $194 million contract extension. However, Morant recently missed out on a $39 million bonus after failing to be named to an All-NBA team this season.

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league is leaning towards a “lengthy” suspension for Morant. This likely stems from Commissioner Adam Silver, who partially staked his reputation on the idea that Morant was genuinely remorseful after the last suspension. However, we will have to wait and see what punishment the league hands down over the next few weeks. This is a developing story and you can find any updates here on HotNewHipHop.

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[WATCH] Stephen Jackson Calls Ja Morant’s Latest Gun Video a ‘Moron Move’

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Stephen Jackson Calls Ja Morant's Latest Gun Video a 'Moron Move'

Ja Morant can’t even look to Stephen Jackson for support. On a recent episode of the Paper Route show from I Am Athlete, Stack said, “Can’t nobody defend him.”

“I’ve been a guy who was thrown a lot of money at a young age and made a mistake,” Jackson said. “I’m totally different from the person I was. It’s not what you do, it’s what you do after. And, what you do after is not do the same thing again, like what he just did.”

He added, “This was a moron move. His parents should be embarrassed. His friends around him, like we said from the last incident, ain’t really his friends. It’s just a fucked up situation. You gotta really put everything in his lap and let him deal with it.”

Ja Morant issued a statement after being suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies for flashing another gun on Instagram Live.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in a statement to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “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.”

Appearing in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews before the NBA Draft lottery, league commissioner Adam Silver gave his reactions to the Ja Morant news over the weekend.

The Memphis Grizzlies have already suspended Morant from team activities, but there are believed to be more issues on the way for the star guard.

During the interview, Silver stated he was “shocked.”

“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video,” Silver said. “Now, we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst.”

After Morant’s first event, Silver issued an eight-game suspension and conversed with the guard. In Tuesday’s (May. 16) interview, Silver revealed more of his conversation at that time. “Frankly, most of our conversation as about how incredibly serious the first incident was of waving a firearm on social media.”

The post [WATCH] Stephen Jackson Calls Ja Morant’s Latest Gun Video a ‘Moron Move’ appeared first on The Source.

Ja Morant Releases Statement on Recent IG Live Incident: ‘I’m Committed To Continuing To Work on Myself’

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Ja Morant Will Not be Charged by Colorado Authorities, Will Miss Next 4 Games

Ja Morant has issued a statement after being suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies for flashing another gun on Instagram Live.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in a statement to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “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.”

Appearing in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews before the NBA Draft lottery, league commissioner Adam Silver gave his reactions to the Ja Morant news over the weekend.

The Memphis Grizzlies have already suspended Morant from team activities, but there are believed to be more issues on the way for the star guard.

During the interview, Silver stated he was “shocked.”

“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video,” Silver said. “Now, we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst.”

After Morant’s first event, Silver issued an eight-game suspension and conversed with the guard. In Tuesday’s (May. 16) interview, Silver revealed more of his conversation at that time. “Frankly, most of our conversation as about how incredibly serious the first incident was of waving a firearm on social media.”

The post Ja Morant Releases Statement on Recent IG Live Incident: ‘I’m Committed To Continuing To Work on Myself’ appeared first on The Source.

Vic Mensa Delivered A Rap About Ja Morant And Guns Before Getting Serious About The NBA Star’s Situation

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Vic Mensa was recently spotted in New York City, according to TMZ. As the outlet caught up with him, Mensa delivered a freestyle alluding to star Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.

“My mama keep telling me to stop, I can’t / the second time they caught me with that gun: damn, I feel like Ja Morant,” he rapped.

The lines refer to Morant brandishing a gun on social media two times, resulting in a suspension. While Mensa used the situation as inspiration for some bars, he then offered benedictions for Morant and noted that he hopes Morant can grow from the situation.

“I think God blessed Ja Morant, man,” said Mensa. “I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he’s too brilliant and so talented. He’s got a gift, he’s got a real gift. So, I don’t want to see him have to go down that path because he’s so good.”

Morant has faced much scrutiny for showing off his guns on social media. Chandler Parsons, who played for the Grizzlies from 2016 to 2019, suggested that Morant endure a year-long suspension. Mensa, however, continues to show support for Morant.

“I think God blessed him,” said Mensa. “I’m not gonna say anything to disparage him. There’s enough people doing that.”