Ja Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday after he appeared to be holding a gun in a social media video broadcast live on Instagram.
This is the second time in less than three months Morant has been seen on Instagram holding what appears to be a weapon. The first leads to a NBA suspension for eight games that passed in March and cost Morant about $669,000 in salary.
It is unclear what sanctions Morant may face over the second video, which was widely shared online on Sunday. A Morant associate went live on Instagram while the All-Star was in the front seat of a car with another person, briefly appearing to display a handgun. It is unclear where and when the latest video was shot.
“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
The Grizzlies said Morant was suspended from all team activities, “pending league review.”
The gun video at the start of this season occurred as Morant went live on his own Instagram while holding a gun at a club in suburban Denver in early March. After that went viral, Morant announced he would be taking the time to seek help without specifying what treatment he would receive. ESPN later reported that he was being counseled in Florida, which the team eventually confirmed but did not share any other details.
“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless, and potentially very dangerous,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement in March after meeting with Morant and deciding the length of the suspension. “It also has serious consequences due to his huge following and influence, especially among young fans who admire him.”
Morant participated in an interview with ESPN during the suspension, responsible for the video.
“I don’t condone any form of violence,” Morant told ESPN in March. “But I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a serious mistake and I can see the image I’ve painted of myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I will show everyone who Ja really is, how I am.” ‘m about and change this story.”
And when the season ended a few weeks ago, Morant again said he needed to work on making his decision.
Morant said after the season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Lakers: “Being disciplined on both sides, off-court makes better decisions and on the field more locked down. “Becoming the leader of this team, that pretty much started for me. …I have to get better at that.”
Morant’s five-year, $194 million maximum contract begins next season. It could have escalated to superpower if he made it to the All-NBA this season; he wasn’t elected to that team, which cost him about $39 million in future earnings.
His talent on the field is undisputed. He averaged 27.4 points last season, 26.2 points this season and helped Memphis win the second seed in the Western Conference knockout.
But the Grizzlies’ season ended dysfunctional. They were knocked out by the Lakers in Round 1, eliminated by a 40-point loss to close a series where profanity and antics became a real basketball-like storyline.
And the current season is off to a less than ideal start, too, especially after Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after the knockout stages that the team must get rid of “unnecessary drama, decisions intend to present themselves to the team.”
“It has to be completely different next year,” Jenkins said.
This will at least be the third known NBA investigation surrounding Morant and potentially involving firearms through 2023.
Morant’s actions have come under investigation following a January 29 incident in Memphis that he said resulted in a friend of his being banned from home games for a year.
That incident happened after the game against the Indiana Pacers; Citing unnamed sources, The Indianapolis Star and USA Today reported that multiple members of the Pacers had seen a red dot pointed at them, and The Athletic reported that a Pacers security guard believed the laser was attached. a gun.
The NBA confirmed that unnamed individuals had been barred from the arena but said its investigation found no evidence that anyone was threatened with a weapon.
Then came the Denver area incident in the early hours of March 4, after the Grizzlies played a road game against the Nuggets. At 5:19 a.m., Morant started streaming from inside a strip club called Shotgun Willies in Glendale, Colorado. No fees are paid and police said no complaint calls stemming from Morant holding a gun were made.
Morant and a close friend are also involved in a civil lawsuit brought after an incident at Morant’s home last summer in which a then 17-year-old alleges that they assaulted him. he. Morant filed a lawsuit on April 12, accusing the teen of slander, assault and assault.
