The National Basketball Association suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for 25 games without pay to start the 2023-24 season after a league investigation found he impaled a gun in a video posted on social media for the second time in just over two months.
Morant was suspended for eight games after the first video in March. On Friday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it was “disturbing and troubling” that Morant repeated his behavior after telling the league and the public he would not do so.
“The prospect of other youths emulating Ja’s behavior is particularly troubling,” Silver said in a statement Friday morning, announcing the new sentence. “In the circumstances, we believe the 25-game suspension is appropriate and demonstrates that engaging in reckless and irresponsible conduct with weapons will not be tolerated.”
A few hours later, the NBA Players Association dismissed the discipline as “excessive and inappropriate”.
“We support him unequivocally,” Tamika Tremaglio, the union’s executive director, said in a statement, adding that the union “will explore with Ja all options and next steps.”
The most recent video, posted live to a friend of a friend’s Instagram account on May 13, showed the 23-year-old Morant brandishing a gun at a car. The NBA said the investigation found that Morant knew he was being broadcast live on Instagram.
In the first video, Morant is in a Colorado nightclub after the Grizzlies take on the Denver Nuggets.
“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time,” said Silver.
Morant, in a statement Friday, apologized to the Silver League, his teammates, fans and the city of Memphis.
He said, “I’m sorry for the damage I caused.” “To the kids who look at me, I’m sorry you failed to set an example. I promise I will be better.”
He added, “I hope you will give me the opportunity to prove to you in time that I am a better man than I have been showing you.”
The Grizzlies, who immediately suspended Morant from all team activity after the second video, said in a statement Friday that they respect the league’s decision.
“Our standards as a league and as a team are clear, and we expect everyone on the team to adhere to them,” said the Grizzlies.
Morant, a two-time All-Star and winner of the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2020, has faced an upheaval in his public image over the past 12 months.
His dynamic play has made him a fixture in standout performances, and he has led the Grizzlies to the playoffs three times, including this season. He had one of the periodicals Best selling jerseysAnd this spring, Nike released its first sneaker—usually a sign of true NBA stardom.
For now, it appears Nike is on Morant’s side.
“We are pleased that Ja is taking accountability and prioritizing his well-being,” Nike said in a statement on Friday. “We will continue to support him on and off the court.”
Nike also stood by Morant when he faced a barrage of criticism after his first video. He took a leave of absence, citing his mental health, and said he had checked into a health facility in Florida.
After the first comment, Morant sat down for an ESPN interview with Jalen Rose, a former player who is now an analyst, who said the gun in Colorado wasn’t his.
Morant: “I made a big mistake” He said. “I can see the picture I have painted of myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I will show everyone who Ja really is, what I am about to change this narrative that everyone has been given.”
First suspension could cost Morant a spot on a second All-NBA Team, catalyst for a contract Tens of millions of dollars.
While the NBA investigated the second video last month, Silver told ESPN in a television interview that he was “shocked”, as he believed Morant had taken his gun safety concerns seriously after the first comment.
But even before the gun videos, Morant’s image had taken a major hit due to a series of out-of-court incidents that began last July. This includes an accusation that Morant and a friend beat a teenager named Josh Holloway, who has since sued Morant, during a pickup basketball game at Morant’s home. Morant said he was defending himself. A security guard at a Memphis-area mall also accused Morant of threatening him after Morant came to the mall because his mother had a dispute at a shoe store.