Stephen A. Smith Unleashes Brutally Honest Message for Ja Morant

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In his initial reaction to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant being suspended by the NBA for 25 games, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith unleashed a brutally honest message for the star point guard:
"Nobody believes you, bro. I don't say that flippantly, I'm a fan of Ja Morant. He is a superstar that I want this game to celebrate for years and years to come... The reason why you are not believed is because you already lied. And that statement that Adrian Wojnarowski, the ultimate insider, just read on the national airwaves that he received from your agent… I'm saying it sounds somewhat similar to what you said on camera months ago with your first suspension."
Smith continued, adding the following:
"We know what you can do on the basketball court, but now it's a show-and-prove element when it comes to your character. Because the mistakes you made, you not only looked Adam Silver in the face, you went on-camera, national TV, getting interviewed by Jalen Rose, and you clearly lied. No one believes you. We hope you're telling the truth, but if you asked somebody to bet money that the veracity and truthfulness of your words are something we should embrace, ain't nobody betting money on that, bro. Nobody. You need to know that as you move forward."
It was a brutally honest message from Smith, letting Morant know that he needs to start backing up his words with actions.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.