The NBA is suspending Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for 8 games following the conclusion of its probe into his recent off-court actions.
Morant, who has already missed 5 games, will sit out Wednesday’s contest vs. the Miami Heat. That will bring his total to 6 games, meaning that he will need to sit for an additional two contests before he can return to the court.
The 23 year old met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York earlier today to discuss the circumstances surrounding his now infamous Instagram video which showed him holding a handgun at a nightclub.
The league announced that the results of their investigation “did not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant, was brought by him into the nightclub or was displayed by him beyond a brief period. The investigation also did not find that Morant possessed the gun while travelling with the team or in any NBA facility.”
Colorado Police announced earlier this month that they would not be recommending charges against the Grizzlies star following their own independent investigation.
“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” Silver said in a statement. “It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him.”
“He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior. Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court.”
With one saga coming to a close, Morant’s legal team will now turn their attention to a civil lawsuit launched against the guard and a friend stemming from an incident at Morant’s home last summer. It’s purported that the former rookie of the year assaulted a 17 year old, allegations that Morant’s team deny.
Morant will be eligible to return to action on Monday vs. the Mavericks. The former number 2 overall pick will have forfeited $669,000 in salary when his suspension concludes.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Gamecock Central. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.