“Hell with your word, show us”: Furious Stephen A. Smith slams Ja Morant’s ‘vague’ press conference as he compares Grizzlies’ star to Allen Iverson

Last week, Ja Morant held a press conference as his 25-game suspension inches closer to its end. Following his comments to the media, one analyst called him out for how he answered the questions.

During a recent episode of "The Stephen A. Smith Show," Stephen A. shared his thoughts on Ja Morant speaking publicly for the first time. He started off by comparing him to an all-time great, but went on to admit that he thought his answers were vague.

"He was vague," Stephen A. said. "That's why you saw the Commercial Appeal in Memphis and others say 'The hell with your word, show us.'"

Stephen A. did say it's a good thing for the league that Morant is returning to action. He admitted the Memphis Grizzlies guard is a superstar, and reminds him of Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson.

"He's a superstar, this brother is something special... He is a taller version of Allen Iverson as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Iverson is a good comparison for Morant as he also dealt with his fair share of off-the-court drama during his Hall of Fame career.

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Ja Morant is close to being able to back up his words

Stephen A. Smith brought up a lot of valid points in his rant, the biggest one being that Ja Morant has to prove he regrets what he did this time around.

During the press conference, the Memphis Grizzlies star admitted that the suspension was tough for him. He also blamed himself for how the team has performed to open the year. That said, how he responds upon his return will be the true indicator of his feelings.

December 18 marks the Grizzlies' 25th game of the year, which means Ja Morant can return to the lineup at any point after. Memphis plays the next night, but it remains unclear if the All-Star point guard will make his season debut on the road.

As one of the NBA's emerging young superstars, Morant has a lot riding on how he acts following his suspension. If he cleans up his act and focuses soley on basketball, his career should get right back on track. However, if he continues to get swept up in off-the-court drama, things could completely go off the rails.

For the Grizzlies, they need a fully locked in Morant when he comes back. They currently find themselves in 13th place with a record of 6-18. Morant hitting the ground running might be the only chance of salvaging what's left of this year.