This weekend, Memphis Grizzlies superstar guard Ja Morant made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he posted a video on social media that showed him flashing a gun to the camera. It’s led to quite a lot of criticism throughout the NBA world, especially after allegations that he assaulted a 17-year-old and flashed a gun during a pickup basketball game. But Morant does have some defenders.
Early Sunday morning, former Boston Celtics superstar forward Paul Pierce posted a tweet defending Morant for his gun ownership and the controversy, explaining that he owned a gun himself after he was stabbed during an assault, saying not everyone understands what it’s like to be “black and rich.”
“I don’t care what y’all say about Ja I carried a gun after I was stabbed y’all don’t know what he going thru everyone got something to say until u really know what’s really going on in someone life when u black and rich u a target period,” Pierce said in a tweet on Sunday.
While Pierce may have owned a gun, it’s worth noting that there were no instances where he flashed it publicly, which is obviously a key distinction between the two players.