The NBA has announced a punishment for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant following its investigations into a second video in which the player was shown brandishing a gun.
Morant, who was suspended for a total of eight games last season for doing pretty much the same thing, will miss the first 25 games of the 2023/24 season, with the league announcing as much on Friday morning.
In addition to his suspension, the guard will need to take part in a league program focused on the circumstances which led to him repeating his actions.
Morant is one of the most entertaining players in the NBA and was on a trajectory to become the face of the league. However, he has found himself at the center of multiple reports beckoning concern, a lot of which involve firearms.
It was expected that he would miss at least half of next season after appearing in yet another video toting a pistol but the league has opted to go with 25 games without pay.
“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,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said 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.”
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Morant, who averaged 26.2 points and 8.1 assists in 61 games for Memphis last season, met with Silver for a second time as part of the latest investigation. The league chief had previously indicated that additional information had been discovered but that he would wait until the end of the NBA Finals to announce a punishment for the player.
