Ja Morant issued an apology for reposting an edited version of a Grizzlies Jersey that excoriated police officers. The apology comes after the rookie Point Guard faced criticism from fans for attacking law enforcement.
On Sunday, Morant tweeted and deleted an edited version of his own Memphis Grizzlies Jersey that replaced his last name on the back of his jersey with ‘F–k” above his normal jersey number, 12. Police officers are often referred to as “12” in the Black community.
The post came after news that the NBA would possibly allow players to change the name on the back of their jersey to something that would be more socially suiting for the athletes. The repost was quickly spread across social media which lead to Morant feeling the need to walk it back before it got out of his control.
“I want to first apologize for reposting something that didn’t clearly and accurately convey what I wanted to share. My post was intended to focus on the bad cops who get away with the murder of unarmed Black men and women, and those who continue to harass peaceful BLACK LIVES MATTER protestors,” Morant said on Twitter.
“I know there are good cops ’12’ out there… We NEED good cops to step up and make sure other cops are not abusing their power.” Morant also called for justice for Breonna Taylor, the 27-year-old Black woman from Kentucky who was killed by police during a raid. One officer in the case has been fired and none have been charged.
Read the full post below:
