Ja Morant suspended from team activities after second video circulates showing him flash a gun
CNN, WHBQ
By Wayne Sterling and Zoe Sottile, CNN
(CNN) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been suspended from team activities after an Instagram Live video appearing to show him flashing a gun while in a vehicle with others circulated on social media Sunday, just two months after the athlete was suspended over a similar video.
Morant is suspended from all team activities “pending League review,” the Grizzlies announced Sunday on Twitter, adding the team had no further comment.
“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in a statement Tuesday. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”
It is not known when or where the video was shot.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday he was stunned to see video.
“We’re in the process of investigating it. And we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can,” Silver told ESPN. “The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst.”
The commissioner said after the first incident the two-time all-star gave him “the sense he was taking this incredible seriously. So honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video.”
The Grizzlies have not commented since their tweet.
In March, the NBA suspended Morant for eight games without pay for “conduct detrimental to the league” after he was seen in another Instagram Live video holding a gun at a nightclub in Glendale, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.
At the time, the league said an 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 traveling with the team or in any NBA facility.”
Glendale police did not press charges against Morant.
Morant met with Silver after the Denver incident. The 23-year-old told ESPN they had an “open discussion.”
Morant’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,” the statement said.
Later in March, Morant apologized, telling reporters he received counseling to handle his stress and promising to “be more responsible.”
“I’m completely sorry for that (his ban),” Morant said at the time. “So my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter and don’t cause any of that no more.”
He attributed the incident in part to stress.
“I went (to Florida) to counseling to learn how to manage stress. Cope with stress in a positive way, instead of ways I’ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.”
Morant was born in South Carolina and attended Murray State University before being drafted by the Grizzlies during the 2019 NBA draft. He was recognized as the NBA Rookie of the Year at the end of his first season.
The Grizzlies season ended last month when they were eliminated from the playoffs by the LA Lakers.
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CNN’s Kevin Dotson contributed to this report.
