#Ja Morant apologizes for anti-police post, says good cops need ‘to step up’

The Grizzlies rookie apologized Monday for reposting an image that suggested he should wear an anti-police slogan on the back of his jersey when the NBA returns.

The NBA and its Players Assocation are reportedly in discussions to allow players to replace their name with a social justice message. But Morant reposted an image on Twitter and Instagram on Sunday that showed “F—k” in the place of his name along with his regular jersey number, 12, creating “F—k 12” — an anti-police slang term.

“Want dat on my jersey fr,” Morant wrote in his tweet, according to multiple reports.

The tweet and Instagram post have both been deleted. Monday, he clarified his intention with the initial post.

“I want to first apologize for reposting something that didn’t clearly and accurately convey what I wanted to share,” Morant wrote in a tweet. “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.

“I know there are good cops ‘12’ out there. I know some, and a few are family. I am thankful to the cops at Murray State who took care of me, and the cops who continue to watch over me with the Grizzlies. We NEED good cops to step up and make sue other cops are not abusing their power.”

NBA players have reportedly held conversations on how to best use their platform to address issues of racial injustice and police brutality, which have come to the forefront after the police-related deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others.

While he’s still a rookie, Morant appears to be planning on using his voice to amplify a message, even after his attempt on Sunday did not go as he hoped.

“There have been too many Black lives taken by police that could have been prevented,” he wrote. “You may see me as just a basketball player and I may lose fans for taking a stand, but I won’t stay silent.

“BLACK LIVES MATTER!! Where’s the justice for Breonna Taylor?? And the other countless innocent Black lives that have been taken at the hands of dirty cops with no convictions?”