NBA: Ja Morant suspended by Grizzlies after new video with gun

May 15, 2023 Times Europe

Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies leaves the court after Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 125-85 and advance to the second round. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP

The Memphis Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant from all team activities on Sunday pending an NBA review after a new video appearing to show the star guard flashing a gun surfaced on social media.

“We are aware of the social media video involving Ja Morant,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “He is suspended from all team activities pending League review. We have no further comment at this time.”

The move comes two months after the NBA suspended Morant for eight games for conduct detrimental to the league after he streamed a video of himself holding a gun while intoxicated at a nightclub.

On Saturday, during an Instagram Live session on the account of Morant’s friend Davonte Pack, Morant appears to flash a handgun while riding in the passenger seat of a car and singing along to a rap song.

The video was later deleted.

“We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement on Sunday.

After his suspension in March, the 23-year-old Morant told reporters he had received therapy to help him manage stress, describing treatment he had received as “an ongoing process”.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver called Morant’s conduct then “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” and Morant said he was sorry he’d been a distraction to the team in their final push to the playoffs.

“I’ve made mistakes in the past that cause a lot of negative attention — not only to me, but my family as well, my team, the organization. I’m completely sorry for that,” said Morant.

“My job now is to be more responsible, more smarter, and don’t cause any of that no more.”

After the Grizzlies were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant said he needed to be more disciplined.

“I’ve just got to be better with my decision-making,” he said. “That’s pretty much it. Off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just (need) more discipline.”

Morant, the 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been involved in a series of off-court incidents this season.

He is being sued by a high school student who accused Morant of punching him during a pickup basketball game at Morant’s Tennessee house in July 2022.

Morant’s agent said he had been acting in self defense and no charges were brought in the incident.

Days before that, the head of security at a Memphis mall told police he felt “threatened” by Morant and a group of his associates after an incident in the shopping center’s parking lot.

Morant was in the headlines in February when the NBA investigated allegations by the Indiana Pacers that the player’s entourage “aggressively confronted” members of their traveling party, possibly pointing a red laser at them, after a game in Memphis.