Author: Monojit Mandal
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday that the possible punishment against Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant for his second offense of displaying a pistol on social media will be revealed soon. Silver, however, did not reveal the specific penalties, nor did he guarantee Morant’s availability for the start of the new season. He was previously suspended by the NBA for eight games in March after posting a video on Instagram showing a firearm in a bar in suburban Denver. Morant was also suspended by the Grizzlies last month after another video surfaced showing him holding what appeared to be a rifle.
The NBA’s ongoing investigation, according to Silver, has uncovered new material. However, in order not to overshadow the NBA finals, the league agreed to postpone the announcement of the fines until the end of the series.
Morant’s first suspension cost him almost US$669,000 in lost wages. The second incident was documented on the Instagram account of Morant’s colleague, Davonte Pack. In the footage, Morant can be seen momentarily holding what appears to be a gun, while sitting in a car. 111 people were watching the live broadcast at the time.
In 2023, this is at least the third NBA investigation into Morant and his possible involvement with weapons. The first incident occurred on January 29 in Memphis, when Morant said Pack, whom he referred to as his brother, was barred from attending Grizzlies home games for a year. After a game against the Indiana Pacers, many Pacers players noticed a red dot pointing at them near the loading dock where the team bus was parked, according to reports in The Indianapolis Star, USA Today and The Athletic.
According to The Athletic, a Pacers security guard thought the red dot was attached to a firearm. The NBA verified that unidentified individuals had been prevented from entering the premises, but found no evidence that anyone had been physically abused.
Silver expressed his optimism that this sequence of events will result in a beneficial outcome for Morant.