A video popped up on social media on Sunday morning showing Ja Morant waving around a gun while sitting in a car with some friends. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there is a “very real possibility of a lengthy suspension to start next season” as a result of the video.
Prior to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics, Wojnarowski went onto ESPN and laid out the current situation involving Morant, who was suspended for eight games earlier this year due to a similar incident in Colorado where he pulled out a gun in a nightclub.
Ja Morant is facing the possibility of a lengthy suspension – Woj pic.twitter.com/wMPSXOu6Sd
— John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA) May 14, 2023
“The league suspended him for eight games — really two of them, retroactive to really just two games earlier this season,” Wojnarowski said. “I sense already today that Adam Silver’s going to feel increasing pressure from other teams in the league who see this, as much as it impacts the Grizzlies, that it impacts them and their ability to market their players and their teams.”
Wojnarowski went on to say that the sense was Silver “showed some restraint” only suspending Morant for eight games, in part because he “took him at his word that he would make better decisions” during a face-to-face meeting between the two. Additionally, the league wants to make sure this video is legitimate.
“But I think there is a real, real possibility, if that’s what it appeared to be, a weapon in Ja Morant’s hand, he, again, is gonna likely face a significant suspension to start next season,” Wojnarowski said.
Morant’s suspension earlier this year came after he stepped away from the team. He missed six games prior to the league announcing that his suspension would last eight games, which included the ones he previously missed. The Grizzlies already announced in the aftermath of Sunday’s incident that Morant would be suspended from all team activities for the time being.