Did Ja Morant just get off easy?
It’s certainly a fair question after the NBA on Friday suspended the Memphis Grizzlies star for 25 games for showing a gun on Instagram, the second time Morant has been banned for an incident involving a firearm on social media.
“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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.”
The NBA suspended Morant for eight games back in March, the punishment for him displaying a gun on Instagram Live while intoxicated at a Denver-area club. As such, the NBA could’ve come down really hard on the 23-year-old for again posing with a gun on Instagram Live last month.
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Instead, he’s slated to miss roughly 30% of Memphis’ regular-season games in the 2023-24 campaign. A slap on the wrist, all things considered.
“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time,” Silver said in the statement released Friday by the NBA. “Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Morant, the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is entering his fifth season in The Association. The two-time All-Star averaged 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game in 2022-23.
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Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
