After brandishing a gun in a Colorado strip club, Ja Morant’s NBA career is in limbo.
The Grizzlies star was initially suspended two games and is slated to miss at least four more, with a lengthy punishment from the league still possible.
The incident, which occurred last week after a loss to the Nuggets, is the latest in a worrying string of indiscretions.Â
Morant was sued in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager in the face during a pickup game, something he claims was in self defense. Police interviews obtained by The Washington Post revealed the teen told detectives he was punched ’12 to 13 times.’
Furthermore, the head of security at a Memphis mall told police that Morant ‘threatened’ him during an altercation in the parking lot last summer, also according to the Post.
Despite his concerning behavior, the 23-year-old Morant has plenty of time to turn things around, and he’d be far from the first athlete to bounce back after getting in trouble.
Here, DailyMail.com lists eight examples of why all might not be lost…
Ray Lewis
On the night of January 31, 2000 in Atlanta, where the Rams and Titans faced off for Super Bowl XXXIV, 24-year-old Richard Lollar and 21-year-old Jacinth Baker were fatally stabbed outside of a nightclub.
And three days later, the Ravens’ star linebacker Lewis and two of his companions were charged with aggravated assault and murder in connection to the killings.
With no fingerprints or DNA found on the knife that was recovered, Lewis – who was in Atlanta just to party – and his two companions were eventually acquitted of the murder charges.
Ray Lewis was acquitted of murder and went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Ravens
However, Lewis admitted to lying about not being at the scene of the crime, and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice charge.
He also later agreed to a financial settlement with Lollar’s daughter, and was sentenced to probation for a year.
After evading the murder charges, Lewis put together one of his best seasons as a pro, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2000 and leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl win.
Lewis finished his career as a seven-time All-Pro, won another Super Bowl in his final season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Allen Iverson
Iverson also put together a Hall of Fame career in the NBA, but not before getting into legal trouble in high school.
The basketball star was arrested in 1993 after a fight erupted at a bowling alley he was at with his friends.
Iverson was accused of striking a woman with a chair, a charge he denied, but nonetheless was convicted with three counts of ‘maiming by mob’ – a rarely-used law that merely required proof he was at the bowling alley, rather than actually participating in the fight.
Allen Iverson was a four-time scoring champ in the NBA after having his conviction overturned
After spending four months in prison, he was granted clemency, and an appeals court later overturned his conviction citing insufficient evidence.Â
After the incident, Iverson’s recruiting offers dried up, and his mother ‘begged’ the late great Georgetown coach John Thompson to give the electric scorer a chance.
The rest is history: Iverson was given a full scholarship with the Hoyas and starred there over two seasons before becoming a four-time scoring champ in the NBA.
Michael Vick
Vick’s arrest and suspension were hugely shocking, and right in the middle of the quarterback’s prime.
After posting an astounding 1,039 yards on the ground in 2006 – at the time the most-ever for a quarterback – Vick and three other men were indicted on federal and state felony charges connected to a dog fighting ring the next year.
At a Surry County, Virginia property owned by Vick, more than 60 dogs (mostly pitbulls) were seized with injuries, and the then-Falcons quarterback acknowledged supplying money for gambling on the fights as well.
Vick pled guilty to the charges in August 2007, and the NFL promptly suspended him indefinitely.Â
Vick’s career as a star NFL quarterback was interrupted by his involvement in dogfighting
The dual-threat quarterback spent 21 months in prison for his misdeeds before being released in May 2009.
After his release, Vick was signed by the Eagles, and after spending 2009 as a backup he gave fans one final reminder of his talents.
The lefty was named Comeback Player of the Year and a Pro Bowler in 2010, before playing three more years with Philly and serving as a backup with the Jets and Steelers.
Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden
Gooden’s best individual season came in just his second year as a pro, as he won the Cy Young award in 1985 and posted a blistering 1.53 ERA.
From there, the Mets ace’s career was impacted by legal issues and drug problems.
In December 1986, Gooden was arrested with his nephew (and nine-time MLB all-star) Gary Sheffield and charged with resisting arrest with violence, battery on a police officer and disorderly conduct.
Gooden, who won the Cy Young award in 1985, is seen in the Mets’ dugout in 1992
He did not serve any jail time (three years probation) but it was far from the last of his problems.
Gooden tested positive for cocaine during spring training in 1987 and missed a third of the season after entering a rehab facility.
After being suspended for the entire 1995 season following another failed drug test, he played another five years and helped the Yankees win a World Series in 2000.
Plaxico Burress
Burress’ arrest could not have come at a much worse time.
The Giants, fresh off a Super Bowl win the year prior, were 10-1 and arguably the NFL’s best team when the wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the leg on November 28, 2008.
The injury was not life-threatening, but it changed the course of Burress’ career as he turned himself in to face charges of criminal possession of a handgun (he did not have a license to carry in New York).
Burress was eventually charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
Less than a year after making the winning catch in Super Bowl XLII, Buress was in handcuffs at Manhattan Supreme Court
He later accepted a plea deal that would put him in prison for two years, and was released in June 2011 having served 20 months.
Buress would never play for the Giants again, and squandered prime years of his career given that the shooting happened when he was 31.
However, he returned in 2011 to impress for the Jets – catching eight touchdowns – before playing the final season of his career with the Steelers.
Tiger Woods
Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI in May 2017 in Jupiter, Florida, with the legendary golfer booked into jail early in the morning.
While the arrest was not alcohol-related, Woods was certainly not sober, as he was found with five different drugs in his system: two sleep drugs, two painkillers and the active ingredient for marijuana.
According to the police report, Woods needed to be woken up by officers and said he didn’t know where he was.
Tiger Woods bounced back from his arrest to win The Masters in 2019 – his first major in 11 years
The golfer later said he was trying to treat back pain – which had sidelined him two years prior – and insomnia on his own.
He pleaded guilty to reckless driving later that year but avoided jail time, as he agreed to undergo a 12-month probation diversionary program and pay a $250 fine.
While the last six years have been tough for Woods on the course, he did bounce back in 2019 with a famous Masters win – his first major in 11 years.
Draymond Green
After losing an epic seven-game NBA Finals series to the Cavs in 2016, Green found himself in hot water that summer.
The Warriors forward was arrested for assault in East Lansing, Michigan and faced up to three months in jail if convicted.
Police described the incident as an altercation between Green and another man, Michigan State football player Jermaine Edmondson, with Green allegedly slapping him in the face according to a police report.
Draymond Green won his fourth title with the Warriors last summer against the Celtics
Green was booked into jail and later released on $200 bond.Â
However, he avoided jail time, as he later reached a plea deal with prosecutors to pay a $500 fine and a $60 restitution fee.
Green helped the Warriors win consecutive titles the next two seasons, before the team won another last year.Â
Tyrann Mathieu
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Mathieu’s arrest in 2012 was one of many drug-related indiscretions for him in college.
After playing his way into Heisman consideration in 2011, Mathieu was kicked off the LSU team the following year – reportedly for repeated failed drug tests.
He was also suspended in 2011 for failing a drug test.
Tyrann Mathieu won Super Bowl LIV with the Chiefs in 2020 against the 49ers
So when the ‘Honey Badger’ was arrested for marijuana possession alongside three of his former teammates, it seemed like a significant blow to the budding safety’s career.
Despite never suiting up again for the Tigers, though, Mathieu has gone on to enjoy a fruitful NFL career.
After being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft, Mathieu has thrice been named an All-Pro and won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2020.Â
