American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant has been suspended by the National Basketball Association for 25 games in the upcoming season. The suspension is his second ban in four months.
According to reports, the suspension for the upcoming season comes a month after a second video of Morant flashing a handgun was streamed online. The video of Morant showing a gun while sitting in the passenger seat of a car was posted after his eight-game suspension in March for a video in which he flashed a handgun in a Denver-area strip club.
Reports have it that Morant is due to make around $33.5 million this season. But following the development, he now stands to lose just over $300,000 per game — or approximately $7.5 million. The NBA said he also will have to adhere to certain conditions before being reinstated.
Commissioner Adam Silver, who made clear that the star must stop his “alarming” habit of flashing guns on social media, added that Morant’s decision-making is “disconcerting.”
“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated,” Silver said.
The league said Morant “will be ineligible to participate in any public league or team activities, including preseason games” during his suspension.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies suspended Morant indefinitely from team activities after the second video surfaced, and they said they respect the punishment for this “latest episode.”
In a statement, the Grizzlies said “Our standards as a league and team are clear, and we expect that all team personnel will adhere to them”.
In a statement issued through his representatives, Morant apologized to the league, the Grizzlies, his teammates and the city of Memphis. He specifically told Silver, Grizzlies owner Robert Pera and Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman he is sorry.
The guard with his own signature Nike shoe also apologized to children who look up to him for failing them as a role model. Morant made clear he’s had time to reflect and understands the hurt he might have caused.
He said “I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise”.
The star further said he’ll keep working on both his mental health and decision-making.
Recall that on May 24, police conducted a welfare check on Morant and said he was “fine” after cryptic messages appeared on the guard’s Instagram account only to be deleted.
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