Last weekend, an Instagram Live video that appeared to show Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant holding a possible handgun and listening to music in a vehicle surfaced. The video caught the attention of the NBA and fans alike. Upon the release of the video, the Grizzlies announced that Morant would be suspended fro all team activities moving forward. The player is currently under investigation by the NBA until further notice.
The 23-year-old player was previously already suspended for eight games in March after a video of him holding a handgun in a Denver nightclub surfaced. To rectify the situation, Morant entered into a counseling program in Florida after the incident, while also releasing an immediate public apology. At the time, his statement read, “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. 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.” Given that Morant went through such great extents to redeem himself, the newest video of him in a similar situation was a shock to fans around.
ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski shared on Twitter Morant’s most recent statement regarding the situation which reads, “I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me. 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.” The statement follows NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s comments regarding the situation. He said on ESPN‘s NBA Countdown segment, “Honestly I was shocked when I saw this weekend, that video. Now we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. And again, the video is a bit grainy and all that. But I’m assuming the worst, but we’ll figure out exactly what happened there.” After Morant released his statement, fans took to Twitter to share their own thoughts with many feeling disappointed at his choices.
Take a look at Ja Morant’s statement below.
Ja Morant statement: “I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me. 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.”
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 17, 2023
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