The Memphis Grizzlies said Saturday their star guard Ja Morant would be away from the team for at least two games, just hours after the NBA said it was investigating a social media post that appeared to show Morant holding a gun.
The Grizzlies did not immediately respond to questions about the social media post, the reason for Morant’s absence and whether he had been suspended. Several people posted video clips to social media on Saturday, which appear to show Morant holding a gun and smiling at a nightclub in a live video on his Instagram account.
As of Saturday morning, there were no live recordings on Morant’s verified Instagram account that matched the clips spreading on social media. Morant’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were deleted by the afternoon.
Morant, 23, apologized for disappointing people and said he accepted “full responsibility for my actions last night” in a statement. He did not specify what he meant by this.
“I’ll take some time to seek assistance and concentrate on developing more effective stress management techniques for my general wellbeing.” Tandem, the company that represents Morant, shared the statement that he made on Twitter.
In his fourth season, Morant is one of the NBA’s top guards. Since winning the 2020 Rookie of the Year title, he has made the All-Star Team each of the last two seasons and has contributed to the Grizzlies’ resurgence. His jersey is one of the top sellers in the NBA, and Nike just just released his first signature sneaker. Powerade, a sports beverage, disclosed a collaboration with him on Wednesday.
The Washington Post, however, noted the same day that Morant had been associated with two instances over the summer that had been reported to the police. According to a sealed police record obtained by The Post, Morant was charged with punching a teenager during a pickup game, although he claimed it was in self-defense. Morant was charged with a crime in the other event.
