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sports Monday 15 May 2023

Grizzlies suspend Ja Morant after another

gun video appears on social media

By TIM REYNOLDS AP specifying what sort of it clear to me that he has
Basketball Writer treatment he was getting. learned from this incident
Ja Morant was suspended ESPN later reported that and that he understands
by the Memphis Grizzlies on he was getting counseling his obligations and respon-
Sunday after he appeared in Florida, which the team sibility to the Memphis Griz-
to be holding a gun in an- eventually confirmed but zlies and the broader NBA
other social media video did not share any details. community extend well be-
that was streamed live on "Ja's conduct was irrespon- yond his play on the court."
Instagram, the latest in a sible, reckless and poten- Morant sat down for an in-
series of concerning inci- tially very dangerous," NBA terview with ESPN during his
dents involving the two- Commissioner Adam Silver suspension, taking responsi-
time All-Star guard. said in a statement after bility for the video. Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant (12) drives to the basket against Los
It's the second time in less meeting with Morant and "I don't condone any type Angeles Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt during the first half in Game
than three months that deciding on the suspen- of violence," Morant told 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Friday, April 28,
2023, in Los Angeles.
Morant was seen on Ins- sion's length. "It also has ESPN. "But I take full re- Associated Press
tagram holding what ap- serious consequences giv- sponsibility for my actions.
peared to be a weapon. en his enormous following I made a bad mistake and When the season ended a locked in even more," Mo-
The first led to an eight- and influence, particularly I can see the image that I couple weeks ago, Morant rant said following a sea-
game NBA suspension among young fans who painted over myself with said again that he needed son-ending loss to the Los
that was handed down in look up to him. my recent mistakes. But to work on his decision- Angeles Lakers. "Being a
March and cost Morant "He has expressed sincere in the future, I'm going to making. "Being disciplined leader of this team, it pret-
about $669,000 in salary. contrition and remorse for show everybody who Ja re- on both sides, off the court ty much starts with me. ...
It's unclear what sanctions his behavior," Silver con- ally is, what I'm about and making better decisions I've got to be better in that
Morant may face for the tinued. "Ja has also made change this narrative." and on the court being area."q
second video, which was
captured Saturday night
and widely shared online.
The video was streamed on
the Instagram account of
Morant associate Davon-
te Pack, a person familiar
with the situation told The
Associated Press, speaking
on condition of anonymity
because neither the NBA
nor the Grizzlies have com-
mented on the specifics of
the latest video. "We are
aware of the social media
post involving Ja Morant
and are in the process of
gathering more informa-
tion," NBA spokesman Mike
Bass said. The Grizzlies,
whose season is over, said
Morant is suspended from
all team activities "pending
league review." The video
streamed by Pack shows
Morant in the passenger
seat of a vehicle, briefly ap-
pearing to display a hand-
gun. At the very brief mo-
ment — maybe less than
a second — when Morant
is shown holding what ap-
pears to be a weapon, the
livestream had 111 viewers.
The video that got Morant
suspended during the sea-
son happened when the
Grizzlies star went live on
his own Instagram account
while holding a gun at a
club in the Denver sub-
urbs in early March. After
that went viral, Morant an-
nounced that he was tak-
ing time away from basket-
ball to seek help, without