A familiar scene is unfolding in Memphis, as the Grizzlies announced today that they’ve suspended Ja Morant from all team activities while the NBA investigates a social media video involving the star guard.
As Wynston Wilcox of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, Morant appeared to brandish a gun in a new Instagram Live video that went viral on Sunday morning (video link).
The incident comes less than two-and-a-half months after Morant flashed a gun at a Denver-area strip club while streaming on Instagram Live. That video, which immediately prompted an investigation from the NBA, eventually led to an eight-game suspension.
League spokesperson Mike Bass issued a statement today nearly identical the one he put out on March 4 when Morant’s video from Colorado surfaced: “We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information.”
Morant’s live stream in March was part of a series of troubling off-court incidents allegedly involving the 23-year-old, who punched a 17-year-old during a pickup game last summer, was accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall, and was reportedly involved in a confrontation with members of the Pacers’ traveling party after a January game.
Morant didn’t face any criminal charges for the March incident and almost certainly won’t face any for this video either, but the NBA has significant latitude to fine or suspend its players for conduct it deems detrimental to the league.
During Morant’s hiatus from the Grizzlies in March, he attended a counseling program in Florida and met with commissioner Adam Silver. When Silver eventually announced an eight-game suspension for the Memphis guard, he referred to Morant’s behavior as “irresponsible, reckless, and potentially very dangerous,” but said that Ja “expressed sincere contrition and remorse” and made it clear that he had learned from the incident.
It seems likely that Morant will face a harsher penalty from the league this time around, not only for repeating the behavior that earned him his previous suspension, but for making the league office look foolish for any lenience it may have shown last time.
On the court, Morant was his usual productive self for the Grizzlies in 2022/23, averaging 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game in 61 regular season contests (31.9 MPG).
Morant’s five-year, maximum-salary extension with Memphis, projected to be worth about $194MM, will go into effect beginning in ’23/24. That contract would have been worth a projected $233MM if the two-time All-Star had made an All-NBA team, but he missed out, finishing seventh in voting among guards. His All-NBA case was hurt by the time he missed due to that eight-game suspension.
The Grizzlies won 51 games and finished second in the Western Conference, but saw their season come to an abrupt, disappointing end with a first-round loss to the No. 7 Lakers. Following Memphis’ elimination, Morant spoke about a need to “be better with my decision-making” and to avoid “off-the-court issues.”
Suspend him 4 months. July-Sept
Should be the season without pay. Maybe then he’d realize his actions have consequences. But it’ll be a couple weeks/month which won’t change anything. Just some prepared “I’m sorry” lines from his lawyer that he doesn’t mean.
Yeah okay afsooner
what “actions”?
This is very disturbing and it appears Ja did not learn his lesson from the Denver incident. Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you…therefore instead of an 8 game suspension the NBA will need to hand down a way stronger punishment, like a year as maybe he’ll get the message this time. The sadder truth is he is a role model to millions of youth and what kind of message is he sending with these gun videos? Unbelievable
His cling on losers that he hangs out with is the problem. When you mature and get older you see how some friends are fake and not a good influence. Why is his parents allowing him to hang with this same crew of losers? SMH he needs a older role model that will teach him about being a man.
He will be igh. Talking sh** to lebron is frowned upon more then showing off a gun on ig live(in the grizzlies organization).
nah, it’s no those “cling on losers”, it’s him. Ja keeps choosing to be with them. Growing up is hard to do.
His parents? He’s not 12 years old and makes millions per. He’ll learn when he doesn’t get those millions due to suspension and marketing deals fall apart.
Cling on losers didn’t force Morant to do any of this. He has older role models, Adams anyone?, yet he continues. Ja is the problem, not his friends.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me is the actual expression but point taken.
It’s like he’s asking to be removed from the NBA…
Losing his All NBA bonus wasn’t enough…
The NBA has to take stronger action this time…
What an effing imbecile. JA MORON.
That’s pretty much going to be his new brand. Couldn’t state it any better. You work for the NY Post by any chance…?
People who use guns to look cool on social media…
The eyebrows are a dead giveaway.
Are always making up for something lacking in other areas…
It’s not confidence they build with weapons, it’s fake bravado…
Dude, wave all the guns you want after your career is over, but stop screwing up you and your team’s future trying to be a wannabe gangster.
Its such fake behavior too, Ja, we all know you’re a coddled athlete your entire life, stop faking like you’re a hardman thug, you’re a pro athlete who’s had everything handed to him on a silver platter, so sick of the cosplaying.
You only need one punctuation mark at the end of your sentences. Also there’s no need for you to be using racial slurs.
Racial slur? Sarcasm? Lol
What racial slur was used?
Idk dude I went to Memphis on a business trip left w teardrop tats and strapped
I can’t see anything wrong with the OP…
The truth is Ja is a wannabe gangster…
Any predictions on the length of suspension this time?
I’m betting 20 games this time.
Sounds about right. I’ll go with 25-30. But if they went for longer, it would not surprise me given how soon this next incident occurred. That sort of relatively quick escalation might get the NBA to err on the harsher side.
With the current gun environment these days I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s half a season with some community stuff on the side – possibly in the gun violence area so he can learn while he helps.
They gave him for a lenient first time offense. After doing again I don’t think the NBA will show the same leniency so let’s call it 40 games or roughly half a season
They gave him 8*
Ima go a whole year here on predictions
That’s probably the high bar but I think it gets met this time
20 games from the Grizzlies… The redt of the season by the NBA…
Anything less and the kid will continue to play guns wanting to make up for something they are ashamed about… Just like any other small ego with a gun…
Trying to lower his stock and force a trade without asking for a trade is the only explanation I can think of. There’s no way he’s this stupid
First day on earth or something?
It’s sad that I actually believed him when he said he’d change after the first time he did this.
Everyone feels bad for you.
Eh, it happens. And I guess it’s better than being cynical and never believing anyone.
Personally, I don’t believe or disbelieve. I just hope the dude gets better and sorts out his demons. The rest is on him.
Prayers for Ja Morant. He needs to get his mind right.
Why should we be praying for someone who’s clearly a complete idiot
If that’s what you think of him, that is ever more the reason to be doing so.
Or you can hope he turns his life around for both his sake and the fans without resorting to the act of praying.
People are getting hurt, killed, and abused all around the world at this very moment. If I’m going to waste my finite time praying for anyone, it will be one of those folks.
I hope Ja gets right but I’m not going to shed a tear if he doesn’t. He doesn’t get special treatment from me simply because he’s an NBA player.
Because you pray for people who need it, or do you just send internet prayers to sound woke?
Idiot he may be, but idiots need help, too, otherwise they wouldn’t be…well, you know, idiots.
Lol at wasting prayers for a nba player
How does one waste a prayer?
By using it on a NBA player.
By doing it in the first place…
A counseling program in Florida didn’t do the trick? That is shocking news!!!
An NBA league office punishment being absolutely the stupidest and worst possible outcome for all?? Well I never!!! That never happens!!!
Where DOES all the fine money go???
Yeah don’t they know all the good treatment spots for for people are in California?
Marant is derailing his career. This new generation has no idea how much these actions have consequences. It seems they don’t have the morale anymore
There are plenty of good young NBA players that are good role models. So one bad apple doesn’t speak for most of the good young NBA players who respect the game and the older players.
this “new” generation? High paid athletes have always gotten themselves in trouble for stupid decisions.
No kidding. Clearly they need to do some research on how insane athletes were across all sports in the 80s. Cocaine use out of control.
It’s not a generation problem…
Its a jock culture problem…
Ja is obviously over compensating for something he feels small about in his own mind…
Wtf. The guy is going to be toxic, if not already.
Only took 2 months ….. ok
sometimes it only takes a few or one mistake. To F4!$ it up forever. Many thought Len Bias was better than MJ ………. RIP player
I don’t know anyone that ever thought Len Bias was better than MJ. Anyone. But it was certainly sad and shocking when the news broke.
RIP JA
From his cringe dad to his ****-riding, trouble causing best friends, does anyone need to ditch their entourage more than him?
New money lol. Freakin shame
His dad is the problem. His dad acts gangsta. His dads only like 45. He see’s how his dad talks and treats the mid level thug hangaround’s and the easy women. His father is a horrible influence and will be the biggest part of his downfall!!!
This guy really is a FOOL
prep school gangster wannabe
He’s going to end up broke and in jail eventually. What an idiot.
Remember Chris Kaman did this when he played for the Mavs. Wonder why he didnt get a suspension?
link to thepostgame.com
Kaman was a washed up journeyman at that point, not one of the NBA’s biggest stars. And also, as the article you’re posting shows, Kaman was in his own home displaying his guns and not drunkenly waving it (like Ja in his first video).
Don’t get me wrong, both dudes are extremely cringe-inducing. But their actions are different. And imo, Ja doesn’t need a lengthy suspension or anything, just needs to ditch his doofus entourage and grow up a little.
You assume he was drunk. Police did an investigation and did not find that to be the case.
Youre right their actions are different, Morant just had a handgun, Kaman had assault rifles with silencers on them.
What’s an “assault rifle”? What’s a “silencer”?
I think he was inferring to the physical description of someone drunkenly waving a gun, not that he was in fact drunk.
Why do you keep defending this clown? Regardless of how you feel about his actions, you have to admit that doing the exact same thing so soon after he got suspended for it the first time is completely moronic.
because he shouldnt have been suspended in the first place. Millions of people go on social media posting guns all the time. He literally did nothing illegal. If it was on team or NBA grounds, thats one thing. But he didnt. This is a larger issue of the league invading players personal lives.
Not sure why you can’t comprehend this or why I have to sit you down and explain this to you like you’re a child but here we go.
Ja is an extension of the Memphis Grizzlies. Everything he does in public (and yes, IG live counts as in public regardless of your location) he is doing as a representative of the team. When he signed his contract he stopped being Ja Morant and became Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Ja Morant. Even if you think thats extreme, it’s the reality. People love to complain about how much players make but dont fully understand what else comes with that money.
The Grizzlies of course, are an extension of the NBA as a whole. This means on very basic principles, Ja Morant represents the entire NBA as well. As one of the brightest stars in the league, this shouldn’t be news to you. The NBA makes a lot of money. This might be a shock to you but an incredibly large portion of that money is made from advertisements. Ready for the kicker??
NOBODY WANTS TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS WITH YOU IF YOUR PLAYERS ARE WAVING GUNS AROUND DURING THEIR FREE TIME.
Really the money is only half of the problem as of this very moment. By suspending him for 8 games earlier in the year, the NBA has set a precedent that this behavior A.) Is not acceptable and B.) will not go unpunished. In many ways they have trapped themselves in a corner because they have to suspend him or they look incompetent.
Not only have they forced themselves to suspend him, but they have to suspend him much longer than 8 games, especially how soon after his last suspension he has done the same thing.
Since I think guns and ig live might not be the right way to teach you this lesson I’ll leave you with this.
There are huge sects of people who go online and scream racial slurs and fuel hatred as much as they can. Does that fact absolve Donald Sterling? Should he not have been forced to sell the Clippers because being racist isn’t illegal?
Haha, ok cool. Then explain why Kaman wasnt suspended?
I can’t want to see what nonsense you spew this time
Boss, Kaman posted pictures of HIS guns in support of the 2nd amendment. He was not waving a strap around in a car with his boys rapping NBA YoungBoy, 2 months after he was suspended for doing the same thing in a night club.
Morant said that the gun he brandished in the club was not his gun. I guarantee you that he will say the same thing about this gun.
You are purposefully using the Kaman story for obvious reasons that I won’t feed into. You know they are entirely different. Stop it. Get some help.
Not of that is true
Millions can do it but they aren’t promoting one of the biggest organized sports in the world. Lol
But Chris Kaman was
Millions of insecure idiots need a weapon to feel stronger…
Unlike Ja, they aren’t potentially role models for anyone… But other idiots…
Consider the fact he was displaying a gun in an establishment that serves alcohol, which is a no no in any state. That alone is grounds for suspension. And I’m sure there’s content in his agreement with the NBA about outside activity and conduct that was subject to disciplinary action.
Every claim you made here is false
I have a license to carry. Know the law. It’s very true. As for conduct outside the workplace, that is also true. Why do you think he got a suspension the first time?
You don’t know the law In every state. There are plenty of states where you can carry in establishments that serve booze. Therefore, the rest of your post was worthless
Just calm down dude, you changed your screenname last time you got all wound up about Morant.
We woulda gotten away w it too if it weren’t for that pesky constitution!
that dang 2nd Amendment! smh…is it against NBA rules to own a gun or something? How dumb…’Brandishing a weapon’ is when you flash towards another person in a threatening manner. Waving it around on video unsafely is definitely idiotic, but not against the law…depending what state you live I would guess however
The constitution is meaningless anyway…
Especially for a global company…
That’s just…not true but go off.
what’s not true?
As a repeat offender and only 2 months later I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets half a season without pay. He obviously hasn’t learned his lesson. Just look at the Javaris Crittenden and Gilbert Arenas debacle for the Wizards in like 09’. Both were suspended for the year or rest of the year. 2 years later Javaris Crittenden murdered someone. I know Jaden Ivey of the Pistons looked up to Ja Morant as a role model when his mom was an assistant coach for the Grizzlies. Hopefully he sees this as something not to do. I really hope Ja Morant turns his image around and get away from the gangster friends he hangs with. He’s an exciting player to watch play.
What? those two incidents are nothing alike.
Arenas brought guns into the Arena.
Morant just posted a couple pics on instagram, something that millions of Americas do all the time and is completely legal(state dependent).
At this point Morant is just a victim of narratives
Morant isn’t a victim of narratives, and in this particular incident the legalities of it don’t matter. The discussion isn’t should Morant go to jail for this. The NBA operates under it’s own guidelines as far as being able to suspend players because playing in the league is a privilege, not a given right.
This dude has messed up so many times, and the league cut him an undeserved break the last time. This time they hopefully drop the hammer on him.
Messed up how? he literally did nothing illegal or on NBA grounds. The idea he did something wrong is purely opinion and narrative based. So the NBA is above the law now?
I hope they kick him out of the league. because the fact is NBA needs him more than he needs the NBA. China will gladly pay him millions and allow him to post all the guns pics he wants.
Good point DoDblow.
Ja Morant is a grown man by the definition of the law, and he allegedly punched a seventeen year old in the head in a pick up game. That would be a crime anywhere.
If you want to focus on just this incident though, it doesn’t matter if he didn’t violate any laws, or if he wasn’t on NBA grounds. Employers have codes of conduct, rules and regulations, etc… and you have to abide by those if you’d like to remain employed there. You keep focusing on the legal aspect of it, but again, no one is talking about jail time here for this. You’re trying -and failing- to defend this guy as if you were his lawyer, and this is a criminal trial.
And no, the NBA isn’t above the law, and that wasn’t the point I was trying to make. The NBA isn’t going to arrest him. They can certainly choose not to employ him, though.
There are 2 problems with what you’re saying.
1. Chris Kaman. You can’t hold these alleged codes of conduct, regulations, policies or whatever to certain players and not others.
2. Nothing Ja did is against any code of conduct or policy or regulation. The only rules are, you can’t have guns on NBA property
Here look what the league said after the last situation:
“The league said that it had investigated the video and “did not conclude” that Morant owned the gun or that he brought it to the club. The N.B.A. also said in its statement that it did not determine that Morant had traveled with the gun or taken it to an N.B.A. facility. The league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits players from having firearms and deadly weapons at N.B.A. facilities or when traveling on league business.”
So the league themselves said he didn’t violate anything.
So cool you want to talk about policies, fine, when he actually violates a policy that is in place we can have that conversation. But right now, the NBA is just abusing their power and making things up on the fly based on opinions and narratives
On the subject of Chris Kaman, that happened in 2012. You absolutely can hold certain players to one set of standards, and others to another if the eras they played in had different collective bargaining agreements. The league changes. The world changes. The Kaman tweet was a decade ago, and to my knowledge he hadn’t done anything prior to that tweet.
Secondly, the league doesn’t need to have a specific policy spelled out as it pertains to this. They have the option to suspend anyone for “conduct detrimental to the league”, which this would fall under because the league could lose sponsors and advertising dollars as a result. I have a strong feeling Ja was told when they went light on him the first time not to do this again. In a vacuum, if he had just flashed a firearm on IG, it’s an entirely different conversation we’re having. The difference here though is Ja allegedly hit a seventeen year old and threatened him with a weapon PRIOR to this. It’s a bad look for the NBA, and that is conduct detrimental to the league.
This guy thinks if Ja goes to China hey can not only have a gun, but wave it around on the CCP limited sanctioned social media…
He’s a victim of stupidity.
Yeah thr NBA need to come down harder then that…
He’s already lost more than a years worth of pay because of his first foolish insta video…
Ja is the Josh Gordon of the NBA.
Not really. Gordon had long term drug and alcohol problems. Ja seems to have an addiction to being a knucklehead.
Yeah gotta agree there…
Addiction is a very different issue to playing with weapons as a role model…
Rather be in a gang than an NBA superstar lmao
Just suspend him for the season at this point. Send a message.
When your baby brother has a bullet in his head on the 5 o clock news maybe you’ll start taking gun violence seriously, too.
This Knucklehead is dumb as a rock. Fear not, his amazing talent will outweigh his stupidity. Kids will still want his jersey because he’s “badass”.
Nope. Just ignorant.
2 year suspension. Give him the OJ Mayo treatment. Wielding guns while drunk is worse than smoking some weed.
Which one is illegal and which one is protected by the constitution?
Neither
What OJ Mayo did for his suspension is a fart in the clouds in comparison to this…
OJ was just dealing with pain… Ja is pretending to cause pain… Hige difference…
Give Ja 3 years without pay to think about it…
It’s not the Warriors dynasty that’s ending, its the Grizzlies and Suns.
Now that’s funny lol …. sadly
The Warriors are done. If you know the game, you can tell.
Yes the huge Grizzlies dynasty lol
Firearms are now the number one cause of death for children in the United States, but rank no higher than fifth in 11 other large and wealthy countries, a new KFF analysis finds.
The U.S. is the only country among its peers that has seen a substantial increase in the rate of child firearm deaths in the last two decades (42%). All comparably large and wealthy countries have seen child firearm deaths fall since 2000. These peer nations had an average child firearm death rate of 0.5 per 100,000 children in the year 2000, falling 56% to 0.3 per 100,000 children in 2019.
Basketball is my favorite sport ever. And Ja is a great talent. But I’d have no problem seeing him leave the NBA. This is a trillion dollar business. They don’t need his dumb A$$ ….
Why do you hate the constitution?
It’s a useless bit piece of paper with some ideals that were thought up before the car was invented…
It’s outdated…
You needed guns then just for food. Or protection from real Predators. Today it’s either to kill or be killed. Now we hunt each other. …..
Why do you defend a document that said black people were only worth 3/5ths of a human? Because gUnZ!?!??!
No. Because, although your understanding of the 3/5s rule is inaccurate, it’s that document that also outlawed slavery. The beauty of that document is that it allowed an avenue to change things. If gUnZ offend you so much, the repeal the 2nd amendment. Putz
Gotta love the fact that you guys got RJ out of that draft…
Between Zion’s health and Ja’s stupidity it looks like RJ will have the best career…
How many people have been shot by Ja? No doubt hos behavior is another symptom of poor gun culture, but it is indeed a symptom rather than a cause. It’s time we stop blaming dudes posting instagram videos for gun violence, but blame the actual people committing said violence.
It’s simply no different to advertising a deadly drug…
As one of the marketing tools for a global company you cannot do that…
Brandishing a weapon like a fool and then foolishly posting that video would get any normal person in that situation fired… No suspension, straight up fired…
Only a matter of time before he is involved in a gun related tragedy
Which is exactly why the NBA has to up the stakes here considerably. Time for a lengthy suspension.
Imagine being suspended for participating in a constitutionally protected activity
Private employers can set their own rules within reason and can legally state that if one wants to work for them, there might be some constitutionally protected activities that one can no longer publicly engage in. If said person doesn’t agree, they can choose to work elsewhere.
Is this the case with the Grizzlies?
Imagine being foolish enough to work for a global corporation where the writings of some dead people are meaningless…
Stop acting like a child, it’s called code of conduct. It’s something you sign with your employer upon being hired.
Is it, in this case? Code of conduct? You signed one with your current employer, or any past employer? I never signed one with any of
My employers. Child
Because you’re not old enough to understand basic english or have a job…
That’s been made blatantly clear in this thread…
Making his momma proud.
Ja just keeping it real.
Way to many commas stephretireswith8rings lol.
The law and constitution have little bearing here. If the NBA wants to take action against Morant for behavior that is deemed in violation of their code of conduct, or whatever they call it, it’s within their right, assuming the language in the agreement supports it. Brandishing/holding guns on video, etc. probably isn’t the image the NBA wants for itself. I’m sure a lot of players are gun owners but 99.9% seem to understand and have better self control.
Being a wannabe ganster is not the image the NBA wants for itself or the role models they promote as their stars…
He got off lightly the first time…
This time he needs to get 3 years without pay so he learns his lesson…
Indeed, a much harsher penalty for Ja, is needed this time around.
Morant even used the stress/mental-illness playbook to gain some sympathy the last time.
It’s sad that he played that card… It will make things harder for the next person who actually has issues…
I didn’t buy that explanation then. I was right.
Nobody bought that explanation either …….. using mental health as an excuse, is the easy way out for many things nowadays.
Not trying to stir the pot, but if this was a video of him hunting in Montana would everyone be so offended and hurt? It’s a video, not a crime. I get with his previous actions how these things are perceived but seems like a slippery slope from a legal perspective.
It’s still not what a global corporation would want to see from their employee…
There’s no slippery slope legally here… Ja signed his contract, he has to abide by NBA law… Not some law from the stone age…
Does he own his gun legally? Did he point the gun at anyone? Did he threaten anyone with the gun? If he legally owns the gun and did neither of the other two questions then there’s no reason for a suspension.
I dont know what makes you think a logical, fact-based response is appropriate here, but it’s not.
Only emotionally charged and/or ignorant falsehood nonsense is allowed
Mostly coming from people who don’t understand basic english… Like slapnuts here…
Meaningless questions…
The only one that matters is…
Is he employed by the NBA?
The answer is yes… Which makes the constitution irrelevant… Just like any other job…
I was thinking the same thing. If the NBA has a code of conduct, then adhere to it if you want to make $10mil, $20mil, $40mil a year.
Save your money. Retire early. Dance with your handgun on video all you want.
At this point I expect the next 2 big trades from Chicago to be for this idiot and Miles Bridges, since they are the only team in the league who would improve by trading for players who may not play at all.
This mustache wearing punk needs CANCELLED!!!
You have clowns in the comments defending Ja saying “its his constitutional amendment”. He plays the NBA, they have the right to suspend him if they believe he makes the league look bad. A grown man is illegally allowed to have child p*rn if its a cartoon drawing of one, which is disgusting. A grown man can also go around brandishing a gun depending on the state and if legally owned. Just because something is legal doesnt make it right. I don’t blame NBA players for carrying weapons with them because they are rich and high profile but Ja is obviously doing this the wrong way
A basic understanding of english would have a lot of these constitutional fools quiet…
Might help a couple of them understand if they had held a job before as well…
Or if their nuts didn’t get slapped off
Ment to say “a grown man is legally”, sometimes the text on this website just looks too cluttered
You want some real facts ……. It’s not about Ja. He’s a grown adult. He will make his bed and lay in it. He won’t take the NBA with him, that’s a guarantee. Unfortunately it seems he has no real help in his life. And he’s got a daughter too. I don’t want o see any man or woman go down like this. In the end it’s his choice. It’s not a pretty sight ……
The reality is even worse ……
link to cnn.com
link to cnn.com
link to cnn.com
The NBA is about the most superstar-centric league there is ……. all these stars have to do is to play the game as best as they can AND keep their noses clean.
Ja just failing to keep out of trouble.
A very lengthy suspension might go a long way in knocking some good common sense into him.
Blame Dillion Brooks it’s all his fault
I hope this doesn’t come true, but if he doesn’t change he is going to end up the list of athletes who went bankrupt. I know these decisions aren’t money related but I can’t imagine he is making smart choices with his money so far in life. Based on what I’ve seen of his other life choices anyways.
Always said Zion is light years ahead of him as a player and as a person… hopefully his health will let him prove it!