Plaxico Burress knows all too well about having a gun in a public place and what it could do to him and his career.
Over the weekend, Ja Morant became the face of controversy yet again after he pulled out a handgun while on Instagram Live.
During an appearance on The Carton Show this week, former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress gave his take on the situation since he found himself in a similar spot in the late 2000s.
Plaxico Burress: “I would say to Ja: if you can learn from anybody, learn from me. He’s a Hall of Fame player without a doubt. He can be one of the truly special generational talents that the game has ever seen. Don’t let situations like this follow you throughout your career and as a person. I believe that he’s a great person. I’ve heard nothing but great things about how he treats his teammates and how he interacts with his fans.
He doesn’t boast about how good he is, he just wants to continue to get better. We want to see him mature as a person as he gets older, the same way his game is growing right in front of us. I would say to him: just get out there and go play basketball, leave all those things behind. Trust me, things like this can alter your legacy. It only takes one bad decision, one bad moment, from the time that you started dribbling the basketball, to tear it all down. I would tell him if you can relate or learn from anything, take it from me.”
Back in 2008, Burress accidentally shot himself in the right leg and would end up spending two years in prison because he didn’t have a license to carry a gun in New York City.
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According to Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, Ja Morant is indefinitely benched from the team. He’s already missed one game against the Clippers and is slated to miss the game against the Lakers on Tuesday.
On top of not being on the court, the Memphis Grizzlies guard is being investigated by police in Glendale, Colorado for flashing that gun at a nightclub. Glendale police captain Jamie Dillon told the Associated Press on Monday they didn’t receive any calls or complaints about Morant but began looking into the situation after hearing about the video.
Colorado has open-carry laws for firearms “regulated by local county and municipal authorities.” NBA rules also “prohibit a player from possessing a firearm while on team property or traveling on team business,” according to ESPN.
The Grizzlies are a top seed in the Western Conference and this situation could turn their season upside down.
