Things always come in patterns, if we pay attn.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s been at the center of controversy over the last few wks. First he was embroiled in a case alleging he threatened a minor. Then, we saw that he flashed a gun during his own Instagram livestream while being in a nightclub. Since then, he’s been suspended by the Grizzlies, a video of him in a strip club in Denver’s been leaked & gone viral, & he’s now being investigated for his actions.
On its surface you’d go: an out of control athlete like we’ve seen in the past, nothing “new” here. But, there is always much more to the story.
On the 1st slide, you see that Morant has decided to check into a counseling program. A counseling program – in which he’s shared: he needs to learn better ways to manage his stress.
@darrenrovell usually checks w me before he sends out a tweet on MH. He has 2 million followers on Twitter. Every tweet gets critiqued, as w a base that large, you become a target for haters. Darren texted me the tweet on the next slide➡️ last nt…one of his 1st MH tweets where he didn’t check w me beforehand. I’m proud of him for what he put up. “The actions are often a result of unaddressed trauma.”
Darren’s been a part of & arnd this group long enough. He’s learned from another former pro athlete who’s one of his closest friends @theofleury14 that there’s so much behind the behavior, to just judge the behavior alone.
And Darren nailed what the criticism of Morant & this move’s gonna be: “he’s covering up his actions by doing a PR stunt – going to therapy.”
Well if that’s the narrative put out there, we’ll never get out of our own way as a society. Just as Calvin Ridley took responsibility for his gambling…Ja is not running from his responsibility or his actions. Two things can be true at the SAME time: you can have done something wrong that there are consequences for/that you apologize for & know you were in the wrong AND those wrong things can ALSO be a result of underlying emotional pain.
Next slide ➡️WAALC podcast episode on Calvin Ridley’s gambling decision/events that preceded it, being posted today.
