Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant has set the NBA media under fire with his most recent controversy.
Last Saturday, Morant was seen on Instagram Live in a nightclub after the Grizzlies' loss versus the Denver Nuggets. In the video, Morant was seen flashing a gun in the nightclub in a since-deleted post.
The post caught the attention of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the Grizzlies organization, and the Colorado Police Department.
The NBA has since announced that Morant will be under investigation and the Grizzlies have stated that Morant will step away from the team with no timetable for his return.
Morant has since issued an apology in a statement that goes: “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.”
The Colorado Police Department also launched an investigation into the situation regarding Morant having a gun on him.
It has since come out that Morant will not face criminal charges as the Colorado Police Department wrapped up its investigation, per Shams Charania.
“There was not enough available evidence to charge anyone with a crime. A video alone is not enough to bring charges,” said the Colorado Police Department in a press release.
The NBA still has a possibility to suspend Morant for an extended period of as many as 50 games.
Adam Silver has yet to comment on any investigative updates regarding the league’s decision on punishment for Morant.
Morant currently is still away from the team and has since then deactivated all social media accounts.
The team has announced that Morant will sit out for at least the next four games.
The Grizzlies currently sit at the third seed in the western conference as they have lost their last three games on the road.
Memphis will also have to deal with the loss of Brandon Clarke as it was revealed last Friday that he tore his Achilles.
The Grizzlies are still looking to get Steven Adams back from injury as the big man has been out for a while due to a knee injury.
Memphis will head back home tomorrow to face the Golden State Warriors at 6:30 PM CT. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
We will continue to update more on the Morant situation once more information comes out.
