Ja Morant’s EXTREMELY SERIOUS potential penalty revealed by NBA executive
Problems continue to mount for Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.
Follow Us
Ja Morant for the Memphis Grizzlies (Image via David Berding/Getty Images)
The 2022-23 season comes closer to its final days as the Conference Finals lurk upon us. With eliminated teams going into their off-season, players and management are looking to prepare well for the upcoming season. However, the Memphis Grizzlies seem to be in troubled waters again with a recent recurring controversy with Ja Morant.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies’ front-running player, was seen flashing a gun on Instagram Live. This is the second time in three months that the Grizzlies guard has displayed this behaviour. Although it wasn’t his own handle, Morant was seen in a car with his friend. His friend was streaming a live feed on Instagram and panned the camera towards Morant. At first glance, he was holding nothing; however, when the camera panned again, there was a gun. As the NBA world swarmed around the news in shock, many are speculating how the league could penalise the young guard.
The NBA will now conduct an investigation on the matter as fans expect a serious penalty. The league had suspended Ja Morant for eight games when the incident first occurred. However, now, many are expecting the league to not be as lenient. While some are calling for harsh punishments, many are asking Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner) to set an example. Many sources speculate a 20-game suspension going into the 2023-24 NBA season. However, rival executives believe half a season, or more, is a fair possibility too.
As of now, the NBA spokesperson, Mike Bass, has issued a small statement. “We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” he said. The Memphis Grizzlies also issued a statement amid the controversy. “We are aware of the social media video involving Ja Morant. He is suspended from all activities pending League review. We have no further comment at this time,” said the Grizzlies‘ management in the media release statement.
Ja Morant flashed a gun in March in the first incident
The Grizzlies were in Denver when Morant flashed a gun for the first time. The guard was at a nightclub in an intoxicated state when he was seen holding a gun on his Instagram Live. The league conducted an investigation and found Morant guilty. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called his behaviour “Irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous”
Morant himself, too, spoke about his actions saying he realised how dangerous they could be. “I made mistakes in the past that caused a lot of negative attention, not only to me, but my family as well, my team, the organization, and I’m completely sorry for that,” Morant told reporters. “So, you know, my job now is being more responsible, smarter, and don’t cause any (controversy) anymore.”
Following the second incident, even Chandler Parsons, who played for the Grizzlies from 2016-19, called for the NBA to suspend Morant for the entire 2023-2024 season. He commented under a Bleacher Report Instagram post.
Morant was suspended for eight games, but that was not all that the guard ended up with. The Grizzlies star lost his spot on an All-NBA team, forfeiting $40 million in guaranteed money that comes from a super-max contract. He also had a short counselling session with Jalen Rose. However, evidently, they did very little to correct Morant’s behaviour. As the league conducts its investigation, everyone waits for the final verdict.
In case you missed:
Stay Updated!
Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)