Ja Morant Has Been Suspended From the Grizzlies After Reportedly Brandishing a Gun — Again
Updated May 15 2023, 1:33 p.m. ET
Fans of both the Grizzlies and the NBA more generally are wondering when Ja Morant will return to the Grizzlies. The all-star hasn't been with his team for their games since before March 5.
In March, The Grizzlies' coach, Taylor Jenkins, said that Ja knows that he has made “difficult decisions and poor choices” that he now has to be held accountable for. At that time, there was no timetable for his return to the NBA. In May, his return was delayed yet again for another apparent poor decision.
Here's what we know about Ja Morant's situation and timetable for returning to the court.
What did Ja Morant do?
Ja has been absent from games recently after streaming a video on his Instagram on March 4 following a game with Denver in which he appeared to be holding a gun. After the video went live, Ja said through the agency that represents him that he takes "full responsibility" for his actions and will “take some time away to get help.” Colorado police said they were investigating the incident to determine whether Ja had broken any laws.
The video was filmed in Glendale, a suburb of Denver known for its nightclubs. Police said that they didn't receive any calls or complaints about Ja's conduct on March 4, but they began investigating the incident after they learned that the video was circulating online.
Ja Morant attended counseling and was suspended for eight games without pay (to the tune of approximately $669,000).
“I don’t condone any type of violence,” Morant told ESPN. “But I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake and I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about and change this narrative.”
And then another video surfaced.
In May of 2023, a second video surfaced which appears to show Ja Morant with a gun.
On May 14, 2023, Instagram user @_dtap2 (Ja's friend, Davonte Pack) went live and posted a video of Ja holding what appeared to be a gun while dancing and singing in a car.
The NBA moved swiftly in response to the newest video and Ja was once again suspended. '“We are aware of the social media video involving Ja Morant,” the Grizzlies said in a statement that same day. “He is suspended from all team activities pending League review. We have no further comment at this time.”
The full extent of Ja's punishment for this second offense is unclear at this time, given that the Grizzlies' season is over for the year. That being said, social media users have plenty of opinions about Ja's apparent inability to avoid controversy.
Ja was also in the hotseat earlier this year when one of his friends was banned from Memphis's arena for a year after a member of the Indiana Pacers found a laser was being pointed at them from the crowd. Authorities suspect that that laser was attached to a gun. The NBA confirmed that the individuals were banned, but said there was no evidence that a player had been threatened.
