Adam Silver Says League Will Announce Ja Morant’s Suspension After NBA Finals
Adam Silver is waiting to pull the trigger on Ja Morant's suspension.
Speaking with the NBA media ahead of Thursday's Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, Silver addressed Morant's upcoming suspension for flashing a gun on social media (the second instance in a two-month span).
The second incident occurred after the Lakers eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1 of the Western Conference Playoffs.
Considering it was the second offense after a stern first warning back in March when Morant drunkenly waved a handgun around on Instagram during a $50,000 binger at Shotgun Willie's, this subsequent punishment is expected to be stiff.
Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Next Punishment For Ja Morant Not Expected To Be 'Slap on the Wrist'
According to Silver, the league has already decided on Morant's decision but will hold off on the announcement until after the NBA Finals conclude to not detract from the championship series between the Heat and Nuggets.
Here's what Silver said on Thursday:
"We look at both the history of prior acts, and we look at the individual player's history as well," Silver said. "And the seriousness of course of the conduct...
"In terms of the timing, we've uncovered a fair amount of additional information. We probably could have brought it to a head now, but we made the decision, and I believe the player association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams to announce in the middle of this series to announce the results of that investigation."
Adam Silver also declined to comment on whether Morant would be available to play at the start of the season.
Folks around the league are forecasting a suspension ranging from half a season to a full year.
Will Grizzlies Star Play (AT ALL) Next Season?
Morant was suspended for eight games by the NBA for the first gun incident in early March. Ja also met with the commissioner to ensure the 23-year-old learned his lesson.
Morant also underwent a days-long retreat to a Florida counseling program, but the subsequent incident in May proved that he didn't learn a thing from his period of reflection.
Silver reacted to the second gun incident and admitted to being "honestly shocked" that Morant committed the same offense.
"Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video," Silver said before the start of the Lakers and Nuggets Western Conference Finals game. "Now, we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst."
Will the player-driven league give Morant (one of the game's biggest stars) another slap on the wrist?