The 23-year-old point guard has already served five of his eight-game suspension. His return to the courts is expected on March 20, against Dallas.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who posted a video of himself brandishing a gun in a nightclub, has been suspended for eight games.”for conduct detrimental to the league“, announced Wednesday, March 15, the NBA.
The story began on March 4. Already considered one of the best players in the NBA, Ja Morant, 23, posted a livestream in which he was holding a handgun in a nightclub in Glendale, Colorado. The local police had opened an investigation and “concluded that no one had been threatened by the firearm and that in fact no firearm had been found“, deciding not to charge the young man. The latter, without saying how she had ended up in his hands, assured that she “did not (him) belong”. The NBA also conducted its investigation, establishing that Ja Morant”was intoxicated“at the time of the events.
“Irresponsible conduct”
“Ja’s conduct [Morant] was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous“, said the boss of the league, Adam Silver, after a meeting in the offices of the NBA in New York with the principal concerned, in the presence also of the director of the union of players (NBPA). “It also has serious consequences given the considerable influence he wields, especially on young fans who look up to him. He expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior“, he added.
Ja Morant, who had apologized in a press release the day after the events, adding that he wanted “get help to manage (his) stress and (his) general well-being“, joined a psychological support program in Florida for a few days. This incident is the latest in a series involving the leader of Memphis, notably accused of having given “12 to 13 punches“to a 17-year-old at his home in July 2022.
“I realize what I have to lose (…) It’s just about being more responsible, smarter and avoiding making bad decisions“, said the Grizzlies star in an interview with ESPN.
His suspension, “without salary payment“, is retroactive, also specified the NBA. The rear, dismissed until further notice by his club for five games, will therefore be able to play again on Monday March 20, on the occasion of the reception of the Dallas Mavericks.