Stephen A. Smith gives blunt take on Pat Beverley’s Ja Morant rap influence claim

Stephen A. Smith doesn’t support the idea that Grizzlies star Jamorant was influenced by rap music and culture amid the recent cancer scandal.

Morant has been all over the news in recent weeks after he flaunted his gun during an IG live when he was in a nightclub in Denver. Accused of assaulting a teenager during a volleyball game, it hasn’t been an ideal few weeks for Morant or the Grizzlies.

Morant then apologized, attended a counseling program in Florida, and was retroactively suspended from the NBA. Many in the NBA world have commented on his recent troubles with Chicago Bulls point guard Patrick Beverly, citing his belief that rap music and culture may have influenced Morant. says.

“I think music has a lot to do with this right now,” Beverly said earlier this month. Look, it’s okay to show your teeth, it’s okay to wear your pants down half way down your butt, so it’s okay now, there used to be motherfuckers in silk shirts on the beach and they said, ‘Yeah baby, 80’s Let’s have a party like Everyone was wearing sick shirts, and everyone was wearing the same clothes.

However, Smith disagrees with the idea, as he believes Morant should be. know better at his age.

“The bottom line is that Ja Morant is also 23, not 3,” Smith said on the podcast. “You can’t blame the hip-hop industry. Now you’re an adult. You know better. People say you’re a man right away, right?”

Rap music and culture cannot be blamed for adult behavior. pic.twitter.com/fCQuxQvU4x

— Stephen A. Smith (@stephenasmith) March 19, 2023

Morant is eligible to return to action on Monday when the Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks. Memphis remains third in the Western Conference with a 43-27 record.