A young superstar of the NBA, Ja Morant has been on the negative side of headlines in recent weeks. The 23-year-old had his career put on the line by pundits and critics after he flashed a gun on his Instagram live. The whole incident had a spiral effect on his career as his past mistakes and issues were highlighted again. While Morant was put away from the media and limelight, he was also barred from playing in the NBA. Amidst debates and discussions around the Memphis Grizzlies star, fans kept waiting for him to come back.

Now, for the first time since his life was caught up in this storm, the Grizzlies star has sat down for an interview. Morant was in conversation with the ex-NBA star Jalen Rose for ESPN. Here the 2x NBA All-Star discussed his life, confessed and apologized for his mistakes, and revealed the reason why he went live on Instagram with a gun.

What was Morant’s state of mind before the infamous IG live?

In the interview, Ja Morant opened up about various aspects of his life including the turmoil he went through in recent weeks. Morant has developed a more positive outlook on life due to his recent controversy. He said he has learned “different ways to …manage stress, in a positive way.” Morant also said that he now understands more about expressing one’s emotions and that he did talk to a therapist in order to have a better understanding of the situation.

Talking about what led to him pulling out a gun on his Instagram live, Morant said, “pretty much just trying to be free.”

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“I used that as an escape which I shouldn’t have. I feel like that’s the reason you know I made many bad decisions in my past.”

Morant added that his past actions don’t represent or describe him as a person. He said, “I’m a totally different person…than what’s been shown…in the media. That’s my job now, that’s why I took the time away to become a better Ja and everybody really can see who Ja really is.”

Ja Morant is yet to be back on the court for his team but this interview did put a lot of chaos to rest.

Read More: “You’re Not a Rapper..”: Shaquille O’Neal Gives Ja Morant a Stinging Reality Check for Disregarding His 3 Year Old Daughter and Family

Ja Morant on being a role model

The Grizzlies’ point guard was asked if he takes pride in being a role model, to which he replied, “I do. I realize I have a lot of kids who look up to even adults and a lot of fans. I realize my past mistake isn’t being a good role model.” Morant said he is looking forward to being a better role model and showing kids what to do and what not to do by leading by example.

The young man who showed up for this interview is definitely different and more mature than the one who flashed a gun on Instagram live. As fans, we can only hope Ja Morant only gets better from here.

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