“To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry…” – Ja Morant releases a REMORSEFUL STATEMENT post 25-game suspension
Ja Morant will face a 25-game suspension in the 2023-24 season following a 'gun incident' in May
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Ja Morant (Image via Justin Ford/Getty Images)
The NBA have released a statement regarding Ja Morant’s suspension after a video surfaced of him on Instagram Live flashing a handgun in May. Ja Morant is given a 25-game suspension in the 2023-24 season and will be suspended ‘without pay’. The Grizzles star will also have to meet certain conditions before he returns to play and will be ineligible to participate in any public league or team activities, including preseason games, during the course of his suspension.
Ja Morant released a statement shortly after his suspension was announced: “I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused. I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis … I’m sorry for the harm I’ve done. To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”
The young Grizzles star is also determined to change as he said in his statement: I’m spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision making. I’m also going to be training so that I’m ready to go when I can be back on the court.‘
The suspension came as a surprise for no one as Morant was already suspended for 8 games in the 2022-23 season for the exact same reason.
Ja Morant can miss a whole lot MORE than just 25 games
Ja Morant’s gun incident earlier in March led to an 8-game suspension without pay which also served as the catalyst for him missing out on an All-NBA selection. By missing out on an All-NBA selection, Morant has missed out on $39 million which also led to a drop in his earnings potential as he missed out on his contract clause which is a 5% bonus on the salary cap. He is now set to earn $194 million over his five-year contract, with an estimated average annual value of $38.8 million.
Morant will also miss another All-NBA or an All-Star selection as a 25-game suspension will be lethal for Ja in a competitive list that features only a handful of guards in the selection list. The new CBA will require players to play a minimum of 65 games to be even considered for making the All-NBA list and other major awards.
Following the first ‘Gun incident’ Powerade pulled out all the ad campaigns that featured Morant in it and his relationship with the brand is in deep waters after another Morant is dealt with suspension following another incident. Nike also briefly removed Morant’s signature shoe “Hunger” colourway from its website in the wake of the second gun-related video being posted on social media.
Nike is still in good relations with Morant as they released a statement following his suspension:
Morant’s shenanigans may have costed him around $40 million in contract bonuses and might have missed out on an additional $10 million from endorsements and sponsors.
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Gerard Crispin
(3318 Articles Published)