He Entered NBA With No Red Flags. They Piled Up Fast

The NBA's Memphis Grizzlies have begun their new season, but superstar Ja Morant has to watch from the bench for the first 25 games. The 24-year-old is serving the league suspension—which amounts to him forfeiting $7.7 million in salary—after he showed up on social media posing with what appeared to be a gun twice in a matter of months. And as ESPN explains in a deep dive into Morant's troubles, those were only two of several high-profile incidents now threatening to torpedo his young career. One twist in the story is that Morant came into the NBA from mid-major Murray State with zero red flags about his character. In fact, just the opposite. He was the "consummate coachable teammate," says one veteran NBA scout. "Humble," another says. "He checked every box."

So what happened? "He went to that first All-Star Game," one source with the Grizzlies tells ESPN, "and then the alligators got him." The No. 2 overall draft pick in 2019 was so good so fast that he would go on to sign a five-year, $194 million deal with Memphis in 2022, the biggest in team history. But along the way came heavy drinking, celebrated visits to strip clubs with friends he would fly in from out of town, the guns, multiple allegations that he, or someone in his entourage, roughed up or otherwise threatened people, some of which are still playing out in court. As the incidents escalated, Morant ignored pleas from the team to straighten out, according to the story. Now he has apologized publicly and insists he's ready for a fresh start once the suspension lifts. Read the full story, which notes that endorsement deals from Nike and others remain in limbo. (Or check out other longforms.)