The NBA made its long-awaited announcement on Friday regarding the investigation into Ja Morant, issuing a press release stating that the Grizzlies guard will serve a 25-game suspension to open the 2023/24 season.
The league’s announcement indicated that, in order to be reinstated, Morant will also “be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Morant put out a statement expressing remorse for his actions and essentially accepting his punishment. However, the National Basketball Players Association isn’t happy with the league’s decision to both suspend the 23-year-old for nearly a third of the season and require him to meet conditions in order to return. The players’ union issued a statement of its own on Friday afternoon.
“Ja has expressed his remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions, and we support him unequivocally as he does whatever is necessary to represent himself, our players and our league in the best possible light,” NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said in a press release.
“As to the discipline imposed, which keeps him off the court until December and requires some unstated conditions to be met before he can return, we believe it is excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons including the facts involved in this particular incident, and that it is not fair and consistent with past discipline in our league. We will explore with Ja all options and next steps.”
While Tremaglio doesn’t get into specifics, it’s probably safe to assume that the NBPA objects to the length of the suspension for an act that didn’t break any laws and didn’t subject Morant to any criminal charges. His history of off-court incidents clearly factored heavily into the NBA’s decision to suspend him for 25 games for briefly showing a gun in an Instagram Live video.
According to ESPN, Morant’s suspension is the eighth-longest in league history. Miles Bridges‘ 30-game ban, handed out in April, is considered one of the seven suspensions longer than Morant’s, even though Bridges will only be required to sit out 10 games once he signs a contract.
As legal expert Michael McCann observes (via Twitter), even if the NBPA doesn’t support Morant’s behavior any more than the NBA does, the union has a legal duty to ensure that the league isn’t establishing new precedents that could be used to discipline players more harshly in the future.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) there’s a 30-day window in which to file a grievance, so Morant will have until mid-July to decide whether or not to fight the suspension. The grievance would have to be filed by Morant rather than the NBPA, Marks adds.
The union will meet with Morant to discuss possible next steps, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
Good. Let the players quit the NBA. Let’s see what A. silver does then.
Lol yea, because of those players have great degrees to fall back on.
Haha, if you have a degree, then ask for your money back cause you’re out of touch. They can got to Europe or China and still make millions.
That’s also outside the fact they all made millions, already. They can take what they already have, put it in investment accounts, which they most likely already are and still make more than anything you will get from a degree.
I believe that if you polled the players, you’d find out that the majority don’t have a problem with the suspension.
The NBA – many times more effectively than the NFL – teaches players how to take care of their money and protect the brand.
I dropped some serious education and HR removed the comment. I’ll make it simple. 5% of $1m is $50k a year. Y’all do the math
You also dropped some poor grammatical skills on us. Keep on educating us.
Haha, until grammar pays bills, keep your mouth shut and learn your place boy. All that school nonsense is cool, until you leave school, then it don’t mean ish
Drops “until grammar pays bills” on a site that features written articles supported by advertisements lmao
Where’s my money?
Kurtis, why would hundreds of NBA players give up millions of dollars because one idiot doesn’t know how to behave? Lol.
The suspension is light given the circumstances. The PA knows it’s light. I don’t think you’ll find a ton of tears for Ja. The player’s association is protesting it because it sets a precedent for the next incident, that’s all.
Because if they left, they could make millions on their own. A. silver needs the players more than the players need silver. It’s that simple
Good let them not make 40 mil a year and let’s see what the players do
Never going to happen. All they want is that money
25 games is alright for a repeat offender. Kids look up to players like Morant. Should be brandishing books or video games or healthy recipes not a gun on social media.
The dude gets in trouble, promises silver and the league he won’t do it again, then gets in trouble again for the same behavior. I’m glad the league came down hard. Wish they came down hard on repeat offenders. Only way they learn is when it starts hitting their pocket books. Ppl seem to forget sometimes you represent a company / business. You affect the image / bottom dollar…. well f around find out.
If your kid is looking up to basketball players, you failed as a parent.
It’s bad for kids to look up to guys who grew up in poor homeless situations and made something of themselves? Idk about you but that’s a great teachable moment for your kids- you can overcome anything in life if you put in the time effort and stuff. Work hard for what you want.
Tons and tons of examples of players in every league who overcame adversity in life.
They’re just doing/saying this to try to get Silver to reduce the suspension and make it look like they’re doing “something”.
Worst case, Silver says “no” and you’re out nothing but it looks like you’re standing up for your players. It’s pure just a symbolic move.
Worst case, Players say no, start their own league.
You watch a lot of big 3?
Where’s my money?
Happy to pay you! Can I see the receipts first? Think u could manage that hon?
“brandishing books” from a guy whose moniker is a base vulgarity. I would suspect your use of a book would be more akin to a doorstop than as an object to be read. Having said that, your point is well stated.
Book is a loose term. While I’ve never read pride and prejudice or any of the “classics” I have read many books for job related purposes, IT.
The sense of entitlement in the NBA is incredible. “Excessive, inappropriate” after this clown lied to the commissioner’s face is probably not the right verbiage.
Not really entitlement considering players make the league. Not to mention he did nothing illegal.
legal or illegal has nothing to do with it. As a business owner with a public business (restaurant) if one of my employees was found to have posted on Instagram what Ja did they would be fired. Not the public image ‘m looking for
The problem with your theory, is customers come to the restaurant for food. Customers come to the NBA for the player. A more relative analogy would be comparing the players to the food. If you took off one of your most popular dishes off the menu would the same amount of customers come?
Nobody eats NBA players….
Well, nobody but the Kardashian’s…
Kurtis Blow still here dying on this hill made out of guns, getting ratio’d into oblivion. Sad.
Ratio’d? Haha, by who? The 10 people on this website? Ahahahahaha
The “product” needs to decide whether he wants to wave guns around on instagram (for who exactly?) or get paid for having his face on dunkaroos boxes.
How’d the old jingle go? “Like Mike, I wanna be like Mike” that was and is still the business model. The players are where the money comes from and his videos are messing with the brand. If they can’t market him, they’ll find another “product” they can.
It’s a business, with rules, and he has repeatedly violated those rules. He is not a victim in any of this. The NBA has a stake in this too. Ja made his choices; the NBA gets to make theirs. It’s an adult business with a boy making boy decisions.
Actually he didn’t violate any rules.
He did violate the code of conduct rules in the NBA bylaws and the CBA. So, in fact, he did violate the rules. Which is why he got suspended.
How has he accepted responsibility for his actions if this is how his second offense ?
It’s more than 2 offenses. The guy has gotten multiple breaks from the league.
Accepting responsibility doesn’t remove an offense. what a stupid comment
It’s my brand that it will hurt not my dishes.
All players are replaceable. There is a bevy of talent and who’s next. It’s why the NBA continues to be sucessfil after the retirements of Magic, Bird, Michael and Kobe. I can go on and on. What can hurt the NBA is the image of their players being out of control. I’m the 70’s and early part of the 80’s the leagues image for for sh$t. Drugs almost killed the league. Magic and Bird revived the league
25 games wasn’t enough.
His 2023/24 Topps Finest basketball card is going to have him posing with his Glock 19 as he is in mid air doing a backwards dunk left handed.
Should have been one year or more. To complain about this is another example of a league controlled by selfish narcissistic players who care nothing about contracts or behavior or rules .
It a union doing its job. They are there to protect their members, right or wrong. I think it is a really light punishment and I thought the front office and players union had discussed it – which would have led to a lighter suspension. But their reaction states otherwise.
Lmao they are lucky it wasn’t 50 games
all they’ll do is lighten those stipulations he’ll still serve the 25 games
Screw the Players Assoc. of course they are going to say that. Ja deserved a minimum of 40 games.
Yes screw the players. We all want to see A. silver dribble a basketball, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Nobody is irreplaceable.
Yea? Who are your replacements?
Who replaced Magic? Bird? Michael? Kobe? There is always next
Umm I think it was you who originally said that “Morant has no expectation in his private life to represent, or uphold the political views of the anti-gun, progressive, fanatic base”. I never would gone there if it weren’t for the stupid comment you made
Look this isn’t even his second alleged offense with a gun. Let’s not forget his boys painting members of the Pacers party after an argument. What Ja needs is new friends. Even his dad is part of his posse making sure he sits courtside with a gold necklace and his name Tee. Hopefully losing 10 million dollars will let him see the light and make him aware that he might need new friends. It’s not like he is the first basketball player to come from gang infested neighborhoods. Hopefully he can follow in the footsteps of others that were able to break away
NBPA is right under the LAW, and even legality.
Morant has no expectation in his private life to represent, or uphold the political views of the anti-gun, progressive, fanatic base.
Especially in a personal movie, or video…
What if it was a leaked porn vid by an Ex?
Would he deserve punishment also? Very fine line everyone is walking here, both legally, and lawfully.
Even if the NBA wanted to they cannot convert a right into a privilege, and privately tax, and assess a fine for a lawfully protected act.
That is against the law, and no conduct policy signed or unsigned would grant the NBA jurisdiction to convert a right into a privilege, tax, and assess punitive damage without grave consequences…
The NBA can’t do it if JA, the NBPA, get a very good Lawyer, and a couple decent attorney’s.
An employer has every right to discipline or even fire an employee who posts stupid s**t on Instagram like Ja did. As the owner of a public business its bad for me if one of my employees did what Ja did. He is just lucky he has a talent that not many possess and is represented (protected) by a progressive union
As much as you want to puff out your chest and make this about gun ownership its anything but
No, an employer cannot tax, and assess punitive damage, and punishment for a constitutionally protected right, and activity… Nobody can, that is where the term unalienable rights comes from..
If Ja Morant says, or does nothing, you are correct, but it appears even the attorney’s at the NBPA caught it? (They may have lawyers too)
Has nothing to do with gun rights, but the amendments of the constitution are the law, and everyone even presidents, governors, the NBA, and police abide by them.
You can’t be an owner of a public business, it’s either public, or private. If you own it, its a private business.
Has nothing to do with termination either, they can do that. This about lawfully protected activity.
Firing Morant with cause is technically lawfully protected at face value. Fining him, and suspension without pay get a lot murky if it was his private time and life, and there were no victims other than hurt feelings
Respectfully, You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Constitutional rights have absolutely zero to do with this. It is sad how many people don’t understand that.
If I work for an insurance company, then go on Instagram and say God hates f… I can be fired because it makes the company look bad. It’s not complicated. Do some research.
This has nothing to do with his second amendment right and everything to do with his irresponsibly in how he handles the guns protected under 2A. Are you a irresponsible gun owner as well??
You are wrong
Morant doesn’t have to say he’s anti gun. But he can’t go waving a gun around in public either. And yes others are held to this same standard. Yes if a porn video is leaked there would be punishment fro that too. He has a responsibility to not tarnish the leagues reputation that’s written in his contract. If he does he can be punished.
Waiving a gun in public is different if there were threatened, or frightened victims…
Not at all the focus of my comment, and completely irrelevant for the purpose of this article and conversation.
Lets stick to known facts, maybe not the truth, but hypotheticals make conversation difficult, agreed?
He definitely cannot be punished if someone stole a personal video, and released it onto the public web without his knowledge.
Its funny to believe otherwise…
He can be fired, but they have to pay his remaining salary either way.
Unalienable rights cannot be removed by a contract.
Nobody stole the video. He posted it himself.
My point on the stolen video was hypothetical.
Having sex isn’t illegal either…
You are not making sense…
Mishandling a gun in a video has no legal or lawful attachment if there were no victims present or crimes captured on video.
I mentioned nothing of what you are babbling about.
Reread my comment, and ask a question, but you are seriously making no sense about 2A
It appears like trolling, and trying to make me have to argue a different point.
I made my comment, and I’ll politely as possible amongst trolls field responses relevant to the facts contained in that comment
Do you thnk if your local weatherman put up some tiktoks of him waving a gun around in a car he wouldn’t be fired?
Has nothing to do with being fired, that would be another story…
But okay, I’ll play…Without pay, under contract?
Very murky if someone is saying thats the reason, yet there were no victims, and eveidence of unlawful activity?
Its really hard to create a legality out of even.
The law says you cannot punish someone for engaging in a lawfully protected activity, so firing is one thing, and terminating the contract without honoring its terms for that reason are different, and would be viewed as punitive, where as the firing is probably different if they used a different reason.
Unalienable applies to this right, so no contract can cancel out the Law, or the amendments, etc, etc.
Please show me where “The law says you cannot punish someone for engaging in a lawfully protected activity”
Of course you can. You can be punished for swearing at a coworker. You can be punished for yelling at a customer. You can be punished for being a public figure and putting up videos of you waving a gun around. You can be punished for dressing inappropriately. You can. be punished for sleeping with a coworker. I could go on, but hopefully you get the point? Probably not
In 30 seconds of research.” The First Amendment doesn’t apply to work. In almost all cases, an employer can legally end someone’s employment for inappropriate behavior during personal time. Generally speaking, you can’t be arrested for saying abhorrent things, but you can be fired.”
link to wsj.com
It’s about what the CBA says, nothing more. Silver, as commissioner, doesn’t have an absolute right to discipline players, its a proscribed right, and if you understand the CBA (or any CBA) it’s clear that Silver is out on a limb with this. It really doesn’t fit neatly. I think if a grievance filed, then the parties will likely settle on something between 0-25 days.
I think the players union was ALREADY consulted and that’s how they came up with the 25 games. The following was just rhetoric to appear to support the player and give a little resistance to appease public outcry. When the dust settles he’ll serve the 25 games and that’ll be it.
You’re saying no grievance will actually be filed? Just some bluster. Maybe.
Correct. They might do so for show but the 25 games will stand. Should have been half the season but this was the agreed-upon Compromise. Just my opinion.
Ja has never been charged with a crime. Having a gun in your personal or friend’s personal vehicle isn’t a crime. The prior incident is iffy but he still wasn’t charged with anything after an investigation by law enforcement. All that’s fine, the suspension isn’t about that it’s all about trying to send a message that he needs to pull his head out his ass before it’s too late! I feel what is essentially a $10.2 million dollar fine is a bit excessive, on there hand 25 games is a logical suspension compared to the first of 8 games.
Gambling on your sport isn’t a crime either, but it is a breach of contract and CBA. Ja’s offense is one of personal conduct which can be governed by the personal conduct policy.
TY for raising one of the better examples
Haven’t seen Kurtis so worked up since Miami won the championship.
I’m pretty sure Kurtis has a fathead of Ja Moron taped to the ceiling above his bed.
Actually it’s of Martin Luther King Jr. Because I believe in his fight for equality.
But it’s nice to see fans are still alive and well!!!!! Cherish me you peasents!!!!
Lol get Kurtis some ointment for that one
Guy is more interested in being Antonio Brown than Michael Jordan
But didn’t he say he’d cook Jordan if he played him..? So why would he wanna be him?
Ja morant should of been suspended the whole year. Not surprised the NBAPA is calling it excessive, they are ran by animals like Draymond Green (tried to kill Sabonis). Draymond should be banned from the league and put in jail
Yo it was a toy mane we gotta feed our families with our 40 million a year pay roll yo this is bullshiz mane
I think for all sports the penalties should fit. His first time got a game or maybe was it 3. He apologized then and more. So does it again so punishment should be harsh. Maybe will learn this time. But he must be in the mentality that really needs to go all out and show what is made of. I also feel he needs to go through special programs and more before returning.
This Union says anything against the players is wrong. They’d make this statement if he was suspended 5 games only. What a joke, bunch of coddled babies.
that’s kinda what unions do.
They’ve helped their employees….they also ruin private industries starting with the US auto industry so that ultimately the jobs in America disappear.
The US auto industry lost it’s domestic dominance through the repeated idiocies of management that refused to alter design or marketing strategy when it was warranted, beginning in the 70s, and it’s only been properly adjusted during this century. Unions don’t dictate policy or allocation of resources-the white collar boys do.
1Grok;
In the 70’s unions and their members resisted and sabotaged robotics and other state-of-the-art equipment management brought in to compete with overseas companies.
Absolutely weak move from the NBA…
He lost more by sitting out those 8 games…
Pathetic, balls less move from Silver…
I could see if he appeals the suspension. A new piece being added where if he completes the off court stipulations to return to play early then he could have the suspension reduced to some lesser amount. I originally predicted 20 games because that’s more than double the first suspension and it takes him out of contention for end of year awards and effectively out of contention for all-star as well. I hope it gets reduced in some way.
One has to wonder if Silver went a little lighter on the punishment because he sensed that the Player’s Association was not going to be on board, and it would be easier to uphold a 25-game suspension vs a 40 or 60 game suspension. Granted, I know his public comments potentially contradict that but I always take those with a grain of salt.
In any event, I don’t get why the Union is so worked up here. Conditions? Oh, please. Like the league’s conditions would be that hard to meet in the end; just look at Kyrie. Maybe they should have come up with those conditions before laying down the punishment, sure, but it’s a stupid hill to die on. Then again, this is how these unions always act when a member gets in trouble, regardless of guilt. It’s one of their biggest downsides, particularly when they would have too much power. Don’t care what’s right so long as it benefits the members.
If only he would have been suspended for the whole season… eejits & guns are such a bad combination, right ?
Some of the dumbest arguments I’ve read on a sports issue in along time.
This immature, spoiled, overgrown kid went out months ago and said the same thing about remorse and bettering himself and blah blah blah. Then he does the exact same thing. So now it’s some sort of civil rights issue.
Even Stephan A. Smith – who is hardly a person to look to regarding guidance – had to come out and say to Ja: “Nobody believes you”. I sure don’t. No rational adult human being in América that looks into this does. But here come the excuse makers and people that somehow bring up the Constitution.
THIS KID SAID ONE THING A FEW MONTHS AGO AND DID THE OPPOSITE. HE’S AN IMMATURE A-HOLE THAT CAN PLAY BASKETBALL.
SO WHAT?
The NBA has been a joke for a long time. At best it’s a half-step above professional wrestling. It’s entertainment. It’s not a sport and hasn’t been for decades.
All due respect, and mostly True, but the Law is at play here. Not even a signed contract permits a government, king, or corporation the jurisdiction over a constitutionally protected activity.
All you said is true about character, but that’s a personal belief if it were mine, and 12,000 others also. Which if unlawful is called a witch-hunt, and tyranny.
Forgive me for respecting the Laws of this country more than I respect any individual’s opinion or awareness of the law. Especially, and including Ja Morant.
But last I checked there are no penalties for a Law abiding, immature, careless, and irrational adult. They gotta break laws to incur penalties.
The NBA can’t take his pay for this under the law. He can fight, and win easily. They can fire, suspend, send to Florida, etc, etc.
All fine, but not me making an excuse. Me making fun of the media, and this entire conversation would be more accurate
You really have no idea what you are talking about, do you XMAXX? Employers have wide latitude to discipline employees for “off-duty” conduct.
You really have no clue. They can fire him, but they can’t take his pay, and claim it was for the video.
If they do they can be sued for violation of Ja Morants civil rights.
This isn’t a debate, and quit with the I said they can’t fire him nonsense. I’ve said over 10 times to you trolls today that they can fire him, but they can’t take his pay, or in legal terms cause him damage unless they use another reason other than the gun in the social media videos.
What is wrong with you trolls? Can you not read, or do you think this stops me from exercising my opinion which is way over your heads apparently… Learn Lawful, and Legal, and how to comprehend the english language before replying to an apparent imaginary comment next time…
A.I. is getting slow, or illiterate, dumb people are getting brave in this comment section
Let the adults talk here. The employer can absolutely suspend him for this.
Established precedent says this is suspendable, and this is a second offense. If the PA doesn’t like these sorts of suspensions, they should have made a point of this in the CBA discussions.
Guy makes 33.5 million in his first yr. Then he celebrates by playing gangster. Gets reprimanded by the League. Then thinks it’s a good idea to make fun of that. By playing with guns again. The NBA doesn’t need him. He’s going to learn that. One way or another. Grow TFU already ……
25 games is excessive?! Didn’t this guy say after being exposed the first time that he learned his lesson and would do better? Then a couple of months later another video comes out!
Chuck may say they’re not role models, but NBA players are. Morant knows that, and got what he deserved for not being better after his first incident.
Is brandishing a gun illegal? What if it’s a legal gun?
Ja morant showed rumourse the first time he flshed a gun….. Then he did it again…. Good on him to get the suspension he got. What world are we living in, if his behavior is acceptable???
When Silver decided to wait to announce it it was either gonna be a short holiday, which it is, or a year…
Ja aint gonna learn from this…
JA waives gun In suburbs out of boredom insecurity and privilege