Ja Morant. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL WR has some advice for Ja Morant

Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress knows the type of problems messing around with guns can cause for a promising professional athlete's career. He wants Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant to learn from his mistakes. 

Morant was recently suspended and will be away from the Grizzlies after he posted an Instagram Live video of him brandishing a gun in a strip club. 

Burress wants to see Morant learn from the mistakes that helped derail his own NFL career. 

"If you can't learn anything, learn from me," Burress said on Tuesday during an appearance on "The Carton Show."

"Make better decisions because you really don't want for him to have that label being that he's so young. He has the opportunity to be the face of the NBA. He's that great of a player. 

"You want to see him mature as a person as his game is getting better, and I think that all comes with time and being around the right people."

Back in 2008 Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg inside a New York City nightclub, and because he was not licensed to carry the gun he ended up serving a two-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal. 

At the time Burress was just one year removed from being a Super Bowl hero for the New York Giants and was still a top-level wide receiver in the NFL. 

After missing the 2009 and 2010 seasons while serving his jail sentences he eventually returned to the NFL but was never the same player with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.  

Morant is still only 23 years (eight years younger than Burress was in his story) and is one of the best players in the sport. Not only that, the Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the Western Conference and might have a legitimate chance to make a serious run at an NBA championship. Instead of focussing on that, Morant has been the topic of discussion for all of the wrong reasons. 

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