The NBA announced its long-anticipated suspension for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant on Friday morning. In a lengthy statement released by the league that included remarks from Adam Silver, it was revealed that Morant will be suspended without pay for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season for “conduct detrimental to the league.”
After the news of the suspension became public, Morant released a statement in which he apologized to a number of people and announced that he would use the time away from basketball to work on his mental health and decision making, all while making sure he is prepared for when he can return to playing.
Ja Morant statement: pic.twitter.com/KJCxTVEIRj
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2023
“I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you,” Morant said at the end of his statement.
Two high-profile incidents were cited in the league’s decision to suspend Morant. One was from March, where Morant waved around a firearm in a nightclub in Denver that earned him an 8-game suspension. The other was from May, where Morant “intentionally and prominently displayed a gun while in a car with several other individuals as they were leaving a social gathering in Memphis,” per the NBA. It is unclear if his suspension could be longer than 25 games, as the league announced that he will “be required to meet certain conditions before he returns.”