Does Nike Have a Ja Morant Problem Now?

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant's drama is distracting from his new signature Nike sneaker line.

When searching for a signature athlete in the NBA, it is hard to find a more deserving candidate than Ja Morant. The Memphis Grizzlies guard checks all the boxes - he is exciting, productive on the court, and very friendly toward fans.

With the launch of Morant's first signature sneaker with Nike quickly approaching, all eyes have been on the feet of the All-Star guard. But unfortunately, Morant's off-court drama is distracting from an otherwise successful launch to a signature line.

Memphis has lost eight of its last nine games since the Shannon Sharpe incident took place against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 20. To make matters worse, The Athletic reported that Morant was involved in a postgame incident after Memphis' home win over the Indiana Pacers on January 29.

Morant was reportedly in an SUV with acquaintances that pointed a laser toward Pacers' players, coaches, and others in the loading area. It is unknown who shined the laser, but some feared it was attached to a gun.

did a investigation seen they were cappin . still let a article come out to paint this negative image on me & my fam . & banned my brother from home games for a year . unbelievable 😂 https://t.co/08p4E8xhJJ

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) February 5, 2023

In both instances, a plausible case could be made that Morant did nothing wrong and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, a series of negative headlines that call into question Morant's character is not what Nike wanted to happen the same week the brand officially introduced the newest face of their signature basketball roster.

Last week, media filed into FedEx Forum for an invite-only event showcasing the Nike Ja 1. Morant and Nike executives discussed the design process of the performance basketball shoe and spoke to their excitement surrounding the budding line.

Nike Ja 1

A detailed look at Ja Morant's shoes / © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Morant's first signature shoe, the Nike Ja 1, is scheduled to release in April 2023. The performance basketball shoe will have a retail price of $110 in adult sizes and release in several colorways throughout the next year.

Nike has already shown off the brightly-covered 'Trivia' colorway, the fierce 'Scratch' colorway, and the 'Chimney' colorway, which is inspired by Morant’s infamous “ain’t duckin’ no smoke” postgame comment.

Just a few months after successfully cutting ties with the highly-controversial Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (the brand's only point guard with a signature line), Nike put all its eggs in the Morant basket. Let's hope the events of the past month were an aberration and not a foreshadowing of what's to come with one of the league's most popular players.

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