On Saturday, the Memphis Grizzlies suspended NBA player Ja Morant for at least two games after he posted a video in which he seemed to be holding a pistol in a nightclub.
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Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will miss at least the next two games following an NBA investigation into his Instagram Live video in which he flashed what looked to be a gun while at a nightclub early Saturday morning. Morant “will be away from the team for at least the next two games,” the Grizzlies stated Saturday afternoon, implying he will not appear on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers or Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating saying, “We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating.”
Morant began his Instagram Live session at 5:19 a.m. ET, just hours after the Grizzlies were defeated by the Denver Nuggets, 113-97. The shirtless All-Star guard, who was rhyming along with the music, was seen clutching a revolver in his left hand. On Saturday afternoon, Morant deactivated both his Instagram and Twitter accounts after the incident.
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Morant’s video was released in response to a Washington Post piece published on Wednesday that detailed two instances involving Morant this summer that resulted in police complaints but no charges. In the second incident, a 17-year-old boy claimed Morant emerged from his house with a gun in his waistband and his hand on the weapon after a fight between the boy and Morant during a pickup basketball game in the Grizzlies point guard’s backyard, according to police interviews obtained by The Washington Post. The other incident included a parking lot altercation with a mall security guard.
Morant in a statement said, “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire organization for letting you down,” the statement read. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
Brandon Clarke, who sustained an Achilles injury in Friday’s defeat, was sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Grizzlies learned on Saturday. Memphis will also be without starting forward Dillon Brooks against the Clippers on Sunday because he collected his 16th technical foul of the season on Friday, leading in an automatic one-game ban.
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