The Memphis Grizzlies have announced that their star point guard will be out for “at least” the next two games of the team’s schedule.
After the National Basketball Association opened an investigation into a social media post made by the guard after he live streamed himself clutching what seemed to be a gun at a nightclub, the Memphis Grizzlies announced on Saturday that Ja Morant will not be playing for the team for at least the next two games. The post in question was made after the guard live streamed himself at a nightclub. The announcement came shortly after the NBA announced that it had opened the investigation.
The superstar guard felt obligated to issue an apology on Saturday afternoon after the Grizzlies made the announcement that he would be spending some time away from the club. The Grizzlies made the announcement that he would be taking some time away from the club.
Morant uploaded the video to his Instagram page in the form of a live broadcast; however, once the feed was stopped, the clip was not saved to his page in the archive maintained by Instagram. The Grizzlies had a game on Friday night in Denver, and then on Saturday they went to Los Angeles, where they will play the Clippers on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday. The game in Denver took place on Friday night.
At least for these two contests, the Grizzlies have declared that there will be no additional comment made regarding Morant’s absence from the team.
“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,” said the spokesman for the NBA on Saturday. “The post in question involves Ja Morant.” “Ja Morant is mentioned in connection with the post at issue.”
If the league determines that Morant engaged in misconduct, one of two possible consequences will result: either he would be required to pay a fine or he could be suspended from the league. The statement that was issued by the Grizzlies indicates that the earliest opportunity for Morant to participate again will be the game that will take place at home against Golden State on Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether or not he was going to fly to Los Angeles with the Grizzlies, but it was anticipated that he would. Although it was not immediately clear, it was anticipated that he would.
Morant, a two-time All-Star who averages 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game, is leading the way for Memphis, which is now ranked No. 2 in the standings for the Western Conference. Morant has also been named to the All-Star team on two separate occasions.
At the very least, this is the second time in the most recent couple of weeks that the league has chosen to investigate Morant as the subject of an investigation. An investigation into Morant’s behavior was initiated by the league after an incident that took place on January 29 in Memphis. According to Morant, the incident resulted in a friend of his being banned from attending home games in Memphis for the entirety of the next year.
Following a contest in which the Indiana Pacers participated as the opposition, that occurrence took place. The Indianapolis Star and USA Today both cited unknown sources when they reported that many members of the Indiana Pacers spotted a red dot directed at them. In addition, according to The Athletic’s article, a security guard for the Pacers had the suspicion that the laser was attached to a gun.
Despite the fact that it has been established that certain unnamed individuals have been barred from entering the arena, the National Basketball Association has declared that the investigation it has conducted has not uncovered any proof that anyone was threatened with a weapon.
In response to the event, Morant sent out a tweet in which he stated that the allegations “paint this negative image on me and my fam.” He also stated that he had barred his brother from attending any home games for the remainder of the season. unbelievable.” There was a lot of yelling and screaming going on between players for the Pacers and friends of Morant who were seated on the bench during the game that took place on January 29. When the altercation took place, Davonte Pack, a close friend of Morant’s who was later escorted out of the arena as players on the Pacers bench shouted in Pack’s direction, was present. Morant’s companion was carried out of the arena.
After an incident that took place at Morant’s house this past summer and in which a 17-year-old alleged that Pack and Morant assaulted him, a civil action was brought against both of them. The plaintiffs in the case are Pack and Morant. The occurrence was witnessed at Morant’s residence. In January, the office of the district attorney for Shelby County, Tennessee, issued a statement in which it stated that it was “aware of the incident, and after careful review of the facts, decided that there was not enough evidence to proceed with a case.”
Morant, who was chosen with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has established himself as a legitimate superstar since entering the league. The Grizzlies will enhance the value of his pact from $194 million to around $230 million over the course of the following five years, when it becomes official, if he is named for an All-NBA team this year.
In addition to that, he is an endorser who is in extremely high demand. On Christmas, Nike unveiled Morant’s first signature shoe, which would be made available for purchase in the weeks immediately following its initial public showing. In addition, earlier this week, Powerade revealed that they had agreed to terms with Morant for a multiyear endorsement deal and made the announcement.
The Powerade transaction was made public on the same day that an article was published in The Washington Post about the transaction. According to the newspaper, Morant and several of his accomplices “have been accused of threatening and even violent behavior,” which is a claim that is supported by the police records that were obtained by the newspaper. The article’s foundation was the newspaper’s receipt of these documents.
Because to his suspension, star point guard Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies will not participate in the opening games of the 2023–24 NBA regular season.
Morant was given a suspension as a result of his off-court behavior,
which included his being observed displaying weapons in a casual manner, which might be interpreted as showboating.
The star player for the Grizzlies seems to be making it his mission to get back into peak shape, though.
On Sunday, Morant served as a cautionary example to the rest of the league.
Sure, but Morant deserved his ban.
And considering that other players have received penalties in the past, such as Gilbert Arenas, it’s a bit of a blessing for Morant that it wasn’t even more severe.
When Morant eventually makes his way back to the court, it will be fascinating to observe his appearance.
