Dear Ja Morant,
I'm writing this letter to you as a 40 year old, black man who is a huge basketball fan. You've taken the league by storm and at age 23, I can only imagine the pressures you're dealing with daily.
I don't know what it's like to have fame, money and prestige at your age. With all of the media scrutiny, the pressures to lead a franchise, being the breadwinner of your family and friends, and a myriad of other things.
Here are some things I need you to understand. The moment you became a sensation at your alma mater Murray State, you became a celebrity and star. You will be a celebrity for the rest of your life, no matter where you are and where you go.
What's been happening in your life the past few months is concerning to so many. People are looking at your new 5 year, 231 million dollar contract, your new Nike sneaker line and your new endorsement deal with Powerade. I'm not looking at that completely.
I'm looking at the life you're living and the path you're going down. Those who came before you are the ones you need to consult and speak with who have been in similar situations as you with having the wrong people around you along with instances that have affected their lives directly and indirectly.
Carmelo Anthony tells of a call he got from former NBA Commissioner David Stern where they met at his office. David Stern told Carmelo he knows who his friends are, who he associates with and how he operates. At that moment, Carmelo knew the NBA had ties to local police departments, undercover cops, FBI agents and private investigators. It was when Carmelo turned his life around and ended up having a Hall of Fame career and has endorsements and investments that have set him up for generations of wealth for his family.
Allen Iverson is another former NBA superstar who had plenty of bad influences around him and had to change his lifestyle to have the long career he had. He dealt with the pressures of carrying a team, being a superstar and having to produce on a nightly basis.
Plaxico Burress, a former NFL wide receiver made the ill-fated mistake of carrying firearm into a club and shooting himself in the leg. It changed the landscape of not only his career but his life. Now you have Denver police detectives investigating you and that doesn't look good at all.
While you are probably going to consult with mental health counselors and mentors, they can help you with your mental but not the pressures of having money and fame the way former and current NBA players deal with. They don't make the money you do. You're in a whole different tax bracket and make money that 98% of people in this world will never see in their lifetime.
It's time to have those conversations with Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Jalen Rose and Stephen Jackson for they have all been through their share of things in their NBA careers. Those are just a few of many you can talk to about life as an athlete and being in the spotlight.
It's wonderful that you've grown up in a two parent household and in black culture and society, it's something that isn't applauded enough. Your parents did an amazing job raising a young man of your stature. While they have instilled the right morals and values, sometimes we make mistakes and this is one that can be alleviated.
Trying to portray the “tough guy” persona is something in black culture that too many say makes us “real”. Tough was you not being recruited and going to a lower division 1 school. Tough is the grind you had to go through to get to the NBA. Tough is being a black man in America, raising a young daughter and being a productive man in a society that wants to see you fail. It's surely not bringing a gun into an establishment to show people how “tough” and “real” you are.
You have a choice going forward, you can be in the conversation with best point guards in NBA history with Magic, Oscar, Gary, Jason, John, Stephen and so many others or you can be part of the imprisoned former NBA point guards in Mookie Blaylock and Javaris Crittenton. I say this because when things hit the fan, law enforcement want the big names to solve their cases (Michael Vick), not your friends that are enjoying the ride in your car through life.
For your friends to allow you to go into a club with a gun means they're “yes people” who will do anything to stay on your payroll. They might have grown up with you (I don't know) but they're going to be your downfall. Also, from what reports say, your dad Tee has become more of a fan and friend than a father.
It's not going to matter what your father tells you, and others who care but it will be up to “you” what you do with your career going forward. Money, prestige and fame can diminish in a heartbeat.
The National Basketball Association is a billion dollar business who only cares about protecting their brand, their image and making money. We've all seen many players' careers end or get shortened because of guns (Gilbert Arenas), violence (Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson), drugs (OJ Mayo, Len Bias) and politics (Craig Hodges, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf).
The time is now to rid yourself of the wrong people in your life. You're the driver of the car and sometimes you have to pullover on the side of the road and let some people out. Loyalty to the wrong ones can end up being detrimental to not only your career, but your life.
Sincerely, a fan of black men doing well in life,
Jamell Crouthers
