According to James Herbert of CBS Sports, the National Basketball Association has suspended Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant 25 games. The reason why he is being disciplined is because of an Instagram Live stream recording where Morant was seen holding a gun in a vehicle in Memphis after a previous incident where he was seen in possession of a firearm while intoxicated at a Denver nightclub.
In the first incident on March 4, Morant was also seen on video, and was suspended eight games. After the incident took place, Morant promised the NBA he would not repeat the previous conduct he was disciplined for. The suspension will take place at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Morant was to earn $33.5 million, but as a result of the suspension will lose $7.6 million in salary according to ESPN.
The NBA was reportedly alarmed by the second incident, and did not want to report the suspension until after the NBA Finals took place. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believed Morant’s behaviour was “destructive, ” and believes “that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behaviour with guns will not be tolerated.”
The bottom line is that Morant has been the face of the Grizzlies franchise the last two years. In 2021-22, he averaged 27.4 points per game, and in 2022-23, he averaged 26.2 points per game. In both seasons, Morant was an All-Star. It should be noted that the Grizzlies played exceptional basketball without their troubled star during the 2021-22 season. In this stretch, they won six of seven games with their supporting cast leading the way.
