The Memphis Grizzlies will be without Ja Morant for a period of time, as the 23-year-old was suspended for “at least” two games after showing off a gun on social media.
A clip of the All-Star point guard flashing the firearm while in the strip club went viral on Saturday morning (March 4). Hours later, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported via NBA spokesperson Mike
Bass that the league was aware of the footage and was investigating further.
Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies Communications department put out a statement surrounding Morant’s imminent future, detailing that he would be away for “at least” two games. The 2020 Rookie of the Year then shared his own statement.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Ja wrote. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
This situation arose just days after reports of the former Murray State star’s recent altercation with a mall security guard. Morant reportedly arrived at the mall with nine other people after his mother got into an argument with a Finish Line employee. The Grizzlies star refused to leave the premises and even shouted “Let me find out what time he gets off” at one point, per the police report.
Add in a report about Morant assaulting and pulling a gun on a teenager after a game of pickup basketball, and it hasn’t been the best few weeks for him media-wise.
The Memphis Grizzlies are currently second in the Western Conference and seem poised to easily make the playoffs. Their ability to stay a top-two seed is simply a matter of whether or not Ja Morant’s suspension continues on for an extended period of time.
