Ja Morant missed his third straight game on Thursday night following an incident last weekend where he appeared to show off a gun on Instagram Live while attending a nightclub in Glendale, Colo. Additionally, the point guard will remain away from the team for at least another three games.
While Morant is away, NBA analysts continue to give their takes on the situation. The latest belonged to NBA on TNT’s Charles Barkley, who gave a plea to Morant to mature from this moment.
“It’s time for Ja Morant to grow up,” Barkley said. “Man, you can’t screw this up. You’re one of the best basketball players we got in this league, you’re one of the new faces of our league.”
Last offseason, Morant signed a five-year extension that can be worth up to $231 million, a deal that kicks in at the beginning next season. Barkley noted that it is important for Morant to grow up now, before he starts cashing in on that extension.
Additionally, Barkley praised the way the Grizzlies chose to handle the situation with Morant.
“One gun incident is too many, three is way over the limit,” he said. “I want to applaud the Memphis Grizzlies for handling it the way they have. I hope the kid grows up, matures and gets better people around him.”
While Barkley was critical of Morant, he was also sympathetic of how young Morant is, and believes the point guard needs to find more mature friends in his group.
“He’s 23, we’re all stupid at 23,” he said. “You’ve got to really surround yourself with adults.”
