There is no timetable for Ja Morant to comeback Grizzly Memphisand the All-Star guard knows he’s made “difficult decisions and bad choices” for which he must be held accountable, coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday night.
Morant was not with the team in Los Angeles during the games against trimmer on sunday and Lakers on Tuesday, while NBA investigate a social media post in which Morant appears to be holding a gun.
“Definitely very difficult times,” Jenkins said of the video.
Morant streamed a video on his Instagram account early Saturday of him wielding what appeared to be a gun at the nightclub, hours after playing in Denver. He said in a statement through his agency that he “takes full responsibility” for his actions and that he will be “taking a break for a while to get help.”
“He understands that he has made some tough decisions and bad choices in the past for which he is responsible,” said Jenkins. “He is certainly accepting the mistakes he has made, but only time will tell. We will support him and we will hold him accountable for making the changes. change that.”
Jenkins declined to outline the steps Morant needed to take to rejoin the teamsaid, “We love him, we want what’s best for him, we support him. It’s going to be a tough process, but we have a great team to get through this. .”
He calls it “an ongoing healing process.”
The federation, if it finds misconduct, can fine or suspend Morant.
Morant was also the subject of a tournament investigation after a January 29 incident in Memphis which he said resulted in a friend of his being banned from home matches for a year. That incident happened after a match with Indiana Pacers. Multiple media reports reported that members of the Pacers saw a red dot directed at them and that a team security guard believed the laser was attached to 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.
“This is a tough time for a kid who is growing up and getting better,” says Jenkins. “He has huge responsibilities not only for the team, for the city, but I know how he built that interest factor and what steps he’s taking right now. It’s a step toward really become the best version of himself.”
Now in his fourth season with the Grizzlies, the 23-year-old two-time All-Star champion is the father of a young daughter. Jenkins describes Morant as “a great person in general, a wonderful family member, a father, a brother, a son, a member of our community.”
“My hope is that he gets better,” Jenkins said. “He knows he gets a lot of love and support.”
Associated Press report.
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