Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James and New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall talked about Johnny Manziel, who has made headlines again over the past several days because of his off-field antics.
James and his marketing group LRMR handles the Cleveland Browns quarterback's marketing opportunities. Manziel's antics has tainted his image, but the four-time NBA Most Valuable player said that he is not thinking about the business side of the situation, revealing that he is more concerned of Manziel as a person.
Manziel was ruled out for their final regular-season game on Sunday after he was placed under concussion protocol. But instead of resting and reporting to his team a day before their season finale, the former Texas A&M standout was seen in a casino in Las Vegas.
James said that he is not fully aware of the situation. But based on the details that he knows, the two-time NBA champion is quite sure Manziel is a big distraction to his team and to the people around him.
"I don't know all the details on it," James told reporters. "I haven't been all up on it, but I've heard a little bit of it. It's a distraction not only for himself but for everyone that's around him, including family, people that represent him. He'll figure it out at some point. We all do"
Aside from the recent controversy, Manziel was also involved in a roadside incident, as he was seen arguing with his girlfriend, who accused the 23-year-old quarterback of hurting her. The second-year quarterback was not reprimanded for the incident, but he earned the ire of their coaching staff several weeks later.
Manziel was named as starter for the remainder of the regular season, but former Browns coach Mike Pettine demoted him to third-string after he was spotted in a video partying during their bye week.
Marshall, who also dealt with off-field issues earlier in his career, gave a piece of advice to the troubled quarterback.
"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. This is a serious topic," Marshall said on Inside the NFL. "Well, first, you've got to forget about football, sir. You need to go get your life together. And to be quite frank, I don't think you get it. You don't understand. You're ruining a very, very special opportunity. It's an honor to be in the NFL."
Marshall said that Manziel should mature quickly and learn from his mistakes if he wants to stay in the league. Recent reports indicated that the Browns will likely dump Manziel in the offseason.
