Ja Morant suspended after seen with weapon
Ja Morant have received suspension after video showed the star guard holding a gun on social media.
The Memphis Grizzlies have suspended Ja Morant from all team activities after a video showing the star guard holding a gun began circulating on social media Saturday night.
The Grizzlies announced the suspension, which is pending a league review, in a statement Sunday, two months after the NBA suspended Morant over a similar incident. The team did not provide further comment.
Morant left the Grizzlies and entered a counseling program in March after a video showed him holding a gun while intoxicated at a Denver club when the Grizzlies were in town to play the Nuggets. He was eventually suspended eight games after meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who called Morant’s conduct “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous.”
At the time of the suspension, Morant told ESPN in an interview that he realizes “what I have to lose” and said he would try to be “more responsible, more smarter and staying away from all the bad decisions.”
Morant has been involved in several off-court incidents over the past year. He is being sued by a high school prospect after a fight during a pickup game in Morant’s back yard, where Morant and Pack are alleged to have punched the boy in the head. The teenager told police that Morant entered his house after the fight and came back outside with a gun in his waistband.
Pack was banned from attending games at Memphis’ FedExForum after a postgame confrontation with the Pacers’ traveling party. Pack was escorted out of his courtside seat after stepping onto the floor during the game to confront Pacers players.
After the game, following an argument between Morant’s associates and members of the Pacers’ traveling party in the arena’s loading dock area, a red laser was pointed from an SUV in which Morant was riding. An NBA investigation “could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon.”
In the wake of the Grizzlies’ first-round playoff elimination, Morant said he needed to be more disciplined.