NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, June 1, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)/Ja Morant (Instagram Live screenshot, May 13, 2023)
Many wondered what type of suspension trouble National Basketball Association player Ja Morant would get for his second gun-flashing episode. The first time around, he has suspended eight games, But this time, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver dropped the hammer and issued a 25-game suspension effective next season. The next season begins October 2023 and ends in April 2024. There will be 82 games in total for the season.
The National Basketball Players Association is not happy about the suspension, according to a tweet by ESPN communist Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski tweeted a statement by NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio that said in part, ‘We believe it’s excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons.”
The Memphis Grizzlies player was seen on an Instagram Live with a gun on May 13. The gun-pointing incident occurred during an Instagram Live session on Morant’s friend Davonte Pack’s account. He flashed what appeared to be a handgun while driving and singing along with the song “1.5” by hip-hop artist YoungBoy NBA. The video has since been deleted.
Just two months earlier, in March, the league suspended Morant, 23, for eight games after video surfaced of the Grizzlies guard brandishing a firearm at a Denver nightclub.
The NBA announced its latest suspension June 16, suspending Morant for 25 games. This equals about 30 percent of the season’s games, Barstool reported.
In its statement, the league affirmed that Morant “intentionally and prominently displayed a gun while in a car with several other individuals as they were leaving a social gathering in Memphis.” Morant, the NBA said, “wielded the firearm while knowing that he was being recorded and that the recording was being live streamed on Instagram Live, despite having made commitments to the NBA and public statements that he would not repeat the conduct for which he was previously disciplined.”
“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,” said Silver. “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.”
In a separate statement, Morant apologized, promising to “make it up” to the fans he has disappointed, Sports Illustrated reported.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver responds to a question during a news conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, June 1, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)/Ja Morant (Instagram Live screenshot, May 13, 2023)
