The Grizzlies Suspend Ja Morant from All Team Activities

Statement From the Memphis Grizzlies

The suspension comes just two months removed from Morant’s previous suspension by the NBA for a similar incident involving Morant. The most recent suspension is pending review by the league.

Statement from the Memphis Grizzlies pic.twitter.com/XXLjr6QtlG

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) May 14, 2023

NBA spokesperson- Mike Bass responded to the news in a statement today by saying, “We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information.” The Grizzlies have reportedly suspended Morant from all team activities.

The now-deleted video involved Morant and a friend- Davonte Pack in a vehicle and Morant flashed a handgun while driving. This is just the latest controversy to involve Morant, all within recent times as well. You may remember hearing of Morant’s friend- Pack being involved in another controversy when the Grizzlies and Morant were involved in a confrontation with the Indiana Pacers during their game in January. Pack was involved from the crowd, but it doesn’t end there, Pack allegedly was involved in an altercation after the game when it was alleged a red dot sight had been aimed at Pacers personnel and received a year-long ban from the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Another controversy involving Morant was last year when Morant allegedly punched a 17-year-old teenager at Morant’s residence, Morant is currently being sued by the teenager for the incident. Then in March, the league suspended Morant without pay for eight games for “conduct detrimental to the league.” The suspension came during Morant’s road game travels to face the Denver Nuggets when Morant started an Instagram live in a Denver strip club, showing a gun he was holding, costing Morant $700,000 of his salary, reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Following the incident, the Memphis guard entered a counseling program. Morant has been accused of threatening Twitter users and Mall security in the past as well.

The Grizzlies as a team have seen their fair share of controversies this season. The Grizzlies entered the playoffs as the number two seed in the west and had a record of 51-31. Morant averaged 26.2 points on 46.6% shooting, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists this past season. Morant was an All-Star in the previous two regular seasons, All-NBA second team, and Most Improved Player in 2022. Morant was Rookie of the Year in 2020 as well. Although a successful season, the Grizzlies were bounced in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers, losing 4-2 in the series. It remains to be seen if the league will also investigate the situation and perhaps the latest video will reveal more details, as it hasn’t been confirmed when the date of the video in question was taken.

What do you think of the latest Morant controversy? Let us know in the comments below.

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