When Ja Morant received a similar suspension in March, he was forced to sit out eight games and lost more than $600,000 in wages.
As the NBA examines yet another video in which the Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant seems to brandish a gun on social media, he has been suspended once more.
On a Saturday Instagram Live video, it was claimed that Morant, 23, could be seen waving what seemed to be a gun when he was in a car with a buddy. As viewers pointed out that Morant had previously missed games and salaries due to the same behavior, screen captures and images of the video were posted on social media.
The Grizzlies acknowledged knowledge of the footage in a statement released early on Sunday.
According to the Grizzlies, “He is suspended from all team activities pending League review.” “At this time, we have no additional comment.”
As the Grizzlies’ season has come to an end due to their failure to advance to the NBA Finals, Morant won’t miss any games. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by a Morant spokesperson.
Morant was given an eight-game ban in March after being seen on camera at a nightclub brandishing a gun. Morant reportedly lost more than $600,000 in income as a result of the suspension.
When speaking through his attorney at the time, Morant declared that he accepted “full responsibility” for his deeds and that he would “take some time away to get help.” In March, Morant also spoke with ESPN, expressing regret to his family and his team for making a “bad decision.”
At the time, Morant said, “The gun wasn’t mine. “I am not like that. No violence is something I support. But I accept full accountability. I can clearly see the picture of myself that I recently painted with my errors. But in the future, I’m going to reveal Ja’s true identity to everyone.
Morant’s behavior “was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” Silver said in a statement. Given his huge popularity and influence, particularly among young followers who look up to him, it also has major ramifications.
“He has shown true regret and contrition for his actions. Ja has also made it obvious to me that he has grown from this experience and that he realizes his duties and responsibilities to the Memphis Grizzlies and the larger NBA community go far beyond his performance on the floor, according to the statement.
Later in March, Morant expressed regret to the media, telling them he had sought counseling to deal with his stress, and he promised to “be more responsible.”
Then, Morant remarked, “I’m fully sorry for it (his ban). “My responsibility now is to be more responsible and intelligent and to stop causing any of that,” I added.
He blamed stress in part for the incident.
“I sought counseling in Florida to learn how to handle stress. Avoid the negative coping mechanisms I’ve used in the past to deal with stress, which led to blunders.
Morant was selected by the Grizzlies in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He was born in South Carolina and attended Murray State University. At the conclusion of his rookie season, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
The Grizzlies’ season came to an end last month when the LA Lakers knocked them out of the playoffs.
