Nike Supports Grizzlies' Star Ja Morant after Viral IG Live Video

Nike Stands in Support of Grizzlies’ Ja Morant after Viral Video

Nike has decided to support their youngest superstar Ja Morant following an Instagram live video circulating online. This comes months after the corporate sneaker giant cut ties with NBA star guard Kyrie Irving. In the video, Morant brandished a firearm while at a nightclub in Denver. In the following hours, the Memphis Grizzlies suspended Morant for two games. On Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Ja Morant is suspended for eight games for conduct detrimental to the league. The suspension covers the six games missed, including Wednesday night vs. The Heat. Morant has left a counselling program in Florida and is eligible to play on Monday vs. Dallas Mavericks. To conclude the NBA’s ongoing investigation Morant met with the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on this matter. The meeting finalized the last step in the process for Morant. Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement and said,

“ Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him. He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior.”

The investigation included extensive reports of which Morant was the subject. The allegation of Morant included threatening a mall security guard and punching a teenager during a pick-up basketball game. Despite Morant’s problematic behavior, Nike released a statement and said,

"We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support the prioritization of his well-being.”

Nike, which has a signature sneaker line with Morant, received backlash from fans for backing the Grizzlies star. A few months earlier, Nike ended its partnership with NBA star Kyrie Irving. Nike failed to publicly support Irving, raising an uproar across the sports world. Several NBA players expressed their thoughts on Nike’s stance, highlighting the company’s selective morality. Still, that has not stopped the corporate sneaker giant from unethical business practices. Their history of human rights violations in Asia and the diametrically opposite stances involving Morant-Irving highlights the lack of corporate leadership. Phil Knight openly expressed “Kyrie stepped over the line It’s kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can’t abide by, and that’s why we ended the relationship. I was fine with that.”

The hypocrisy of Nike for their lack of action showed towards Grizzlies star Morant proves that endorsing a product in exchange for millions is more important than company values. In other words — Nike cares about millions over ethics. Nike continues to leverage brand partnerships to maximize their ROI. The Morant case highlights the problematic dangers corporate sneaker brands face when partnering with athletes in exchange for millions. Morant is a two-time All-Star, former Rookie of the Year, and Most Improved player. Morant is touted as the young face of the league, and that comes with a certain sense of responsibility. As for, Nike, they’ve doubled down on their investment. Morant will have to keep a squeaky-clean image for his career.

Written by: Hussein Abdullahi

Featuring: Ja Morant

Published By: TGQ Inc.

NBA All-Star Weekend 2023 Losing popularity as ratings hit record low

All-Star Weekend comes to an end. The festive time in Salt Lake City featured highlights and lowlights. The All-Star game between Team LeBron and Team Giannis has left the NBA community questioning the art of competition, with the NBA's biggest stars disengaged. An underwhelming All-Star weekend in Utah has shed light on the current state of the modern NBA. What was the highlight of the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend? Was it a near-perfect performance from Mac McClung, Damian Lillard capturing his first three-point title, or Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's head-to-head battle at the All-Star game?

Mac McClung Saves All-Star Weekend with a near-perfect performance

Mac McClung becomes the first G-League Player to win a Slam Dunk competition.

All-Star Saturday night was off to a rough start with the Skill Challenge before the high-flying Mac McClung came to save the day. McClung's near-perfect performance reinvigorated the energy at Vivint Arena after completing a 540-dunk to secure his victory.McClung eclipsed as a hoopmixtape sensation during his days at Gate City High School. His freakish athleticism and jaw-dropping dunks used to shut down social media. For the 2022 G-League Rookie of the Year, dunking was the easy part. McClung received a perfect score in 3/4 dunks while silencing all the critics. By the end of Saturday night, McClung earned an endorsement deal from Puma and excess winnings of $100K (McClung's Career earnings are $106K).

McClung cements himself with the long list of greats that includes Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, and Vince Carter, who are winners of the dunk contest. Mac McClung may be the saviour of the dunk-off, but how does the NBA maintain a level of competition while attracting the biggest superstars to participate? The NBA needs to find the right incentive to attract superstars to join the dunk-off. Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, and Jalen Green would provide the fans with excitement that ASW hasn't seen for years.

NBA All-Star Game was the least-watched feature in history

The NBA ASG 2023 was the least-watched edition in the history as ratings hit record low

The 2023 All-Star game matchup between Team Giannis and Team LeBron was nothing more than a "glorified lay-up line", Jaylen Brown mentioned. This game made headlines, and not for all the right reasons. According to Sports Media Watch, The ASG averaged a combined rating of 2.2 and 4.59 viewers. There's a substantial decline from last year, tv ratings and viewership were down 27%. With the succession of the NFL Superbowl, the NBA expected to follow suit, but instead, the opposite happened. Coach Mike Malone shared his thoughts on the game.

“It’s an honour to be here, it’s an honour to be a part of a great weekend, great players, but that is the worst basketball game ever played,They put on a show for the fans, but that is a tough game to sit through, I’m not going to lie.”

The determining factor, in the end, was a lack of competitive spirit from Team LeBron, who gave up 184 points in defeat to team Giannis. Team Giannis was led by Jayson Tatum who erupted for 55 points, setting a new ASG scoring record for points in a single quarter (27), and the most points in ASG (55), surpassing Anthony Davis' record of 52. The highlight of the game was a head-to-head duel between Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The two exchanged a few step-back threes with a side of on-cour banter. The sequence was must-see TV and got fans out of their seats. But in the end, it was all about Jayson Tatum who walked away with the 184-175 win and the Kobe Bryant MVP award.

This year’s ASG had its fair share of highlights and a barrage of three-point attempts, 129 to be exact. But the non-competitive game resulted in the lowest tv ratings in 20 years. Despite the number of big stars sidelined this year — Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the ASG has lost its popularity when it comes to sporting events. Adam Silver along with colleagues will be faced with challenging discussions about raising the excitement around ASW for the future. In the world of pro sports innovation the north star, and with Commissioner Silver at the helm, let’s see what he has in the deck.

Written by: Hussein Abdullahi

Featuring: NBA

Published by: TGQ Inc.