The NBA says the gun in the video didn’t belong to Grizzlies star Ja Morant and suspended him for eight games
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It seems that Ja Morant will be missing for some time
The NBA announced on Wednesday that the star player for the Memphis Grizzlies would be suspended for eight games for actions detrimental to the league.
When asked about a video that appeared to show Morant with a gun at a Denver nightclub, the league said that its investigation “did not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant, was brought by him into the nightclub, or was displayed by him beyond a brief period.”
Games that Morant has already missed will count toward the suspension, so he will be able to return on March 20.
Morant is not expected to play in the Grizzlies’ season opener on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins.
After posting an Instagram Live video in which he appeared to brandish a handgun in a Denver nightclub in early March, police began looking into Morant’s whereabouts.
Morant withdrew from the team, citing a need “to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being,” though police did not pursue criminal charges.
“[The department] was not able to determine that probable cause existed for the filing of any charges,” the Glendale Police Department said in its statement. In this specific case, “it is important to note that [police] did not receive any calls for service at the nightclub on the date in question involving a weapon of any kind,” the author writes.
Morant was the subject of an investigation by the NBA, and on March 8 the Grizzlies announced he would miss at least four more games while the league gathered more information.
Morant, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, had been attending a counseling program in Florida before abruptly dropping out on Wednesday. Wojnarowski reports that he spoke with league commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday.
Morant shot 46.3 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from beyond the arc before he went on leave. He also averaged 8.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game.
A championship run for Memphis this year requires him to return to the lineup at some point.
Final Thought
The NBA Updates: The suspension of Ja Morant and the controversy surrounding the video of him with a gun at a nightclub highlights the importance of responsible behavior and decision-making for professional athletes. While the NBA investigation did not conclude that Morant was the owner or brandisher of the gun in the video, the incident has still caused significant disruption to his team and his career. It’s crucial for athletes to understand the impact of their actions and strive to make positive choices both on and off the court. Hopefully, this situation will serve as a learning experience for Morant and others in the league.
