Ja Morant will sit out more than a quarter of next season as punishment for his second gun-related video incident.
The NBA announced on Friday that the Memphis Grizzlies star has been suspended 25 games without pay for “conduct detrimental to the league.”
“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver in a statement. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”
Morant, 23, a two-time All-Star, was suspended eight games without pay in March after he flashed a gun “in an intoxicated state” during an Instagram live video at a Denver-area strip club in the early morning hours after the Grizzlies played the Nuggets on March 3.
“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” Silver said at the time.
Morant entered a brief counseling program and met face-to-face with the commissioner before returning to action when the Grizzlies beat the Houston Rockets in Memphis on March 22.
But the eight-game ban didn’t stop the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft from repeating the reckless behavior less than two months later.
The NBA’s investigation found that Morant on May 13 “intentionally and prominently displayed a gun while in a car with several other individuals as they were leaving a social gathering in Memphis.”
“Morant wielded the firearm while knowing that he was being recorded.”
The next day the Grizzlies suspended their star point guard “from all team activities” as they waited on the NBA to conduct its probe.
“We respect the League’s decision to suspend Ja Morant following this latest episode,” the Grizzlies said in a statement Friday. “Our standards as a league and team are clear, and we expect that all team personnel will adhere to them.”
Morant promised his fans “I’m going to make it up to you” in a statement released through his representatives.
“I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise,” Morant said.
“I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you,” added Morant who said he will work on both his mental health and decision-making during his absence from the league.
In addition to the 25-game ban, the league announced that Morant will be “required to meet certain conditions” before he can return to the court for the Grizzlies.
“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time,” Silver added. “Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
The suspension will cost Morant — who signed a five-year, $193 million extension in 2022 — approximately $7.5 million.
With The Associated Press
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