Ja Morant Suspended 25 Games Following Second Gun Incident And A Season Full Of Dumb Decisions

Published|Updated

Ja Morant will be handed a 25-game suspension by the NBA for his second offense of flashing a gun on Instagram Live. The suspension comes exactly 34 days after the video of Morant holding a gun inside a vehicle went viral.

The NBA released a statement about Morant's suspension and confirmed he will not be paid during his time away from the Memphis Grizzlies.

"The league office found that, on May 13, Morant intentionally and prominently displayed a gun while in a care with several other individuals as they were leaving a social gathering in Memphis," the statement reads in part.

"Morant wielded the firearm while knowing that he was being recorded and that the recording was being live streamed on Instagram Live, despite having made commitments to the NBA and public statement that he would not repeat the conduct for which he was previously disciplined."

Morant was immediately suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies and barred from all team activities after the video first appeared on May 13. The Grizzlies' season ended on April 28 after they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

Many assumed that Morant was looking at a lengthy suspension, perhaps the entire 2023-24 season, given that he was suspended eight games for a similar gun-waving incident in March. NBA commissioner Adam Silver told fans to "assume the worst" in regards to Morant's pending suspension, but most NBA fans wouldn't categorize 25 games as the worst-possible outcome.

Ja Morant 'Hunger' Nike Shoes Sell Out Amid Latest Gun Incident

Ja Morant has been suspended for 25 games by the NBA. (Getty Images)

Ja Morant And His Season Of Dumb Decisions

The fact that Morant was not charged with a crime on either occasion certainly appears to have played a role in the NBA's decision to suspend the point guard for 25 games as opposed to a half or full season.

Waving a gun on Instagram Live wasn't the only unruly behavior Morant has engaged in over the last year and change.

Morant was sued in September 2022 by a 17-year-old who accused him of punching him and allegedly intimidating him with a gun during a pickup basketball game.

A report from The Washington Post alleged that Morant and nine of his friends allegedly threatened a security guard at a Memphis mall. A later report indicated that the alleged altercation began after Morant's mom summoned him to a shoe store inside the mall because they didn't have what she was looking for.

We also can't forget about members of Morant's entourage allegedly threatening members of the Indiana Pacers back in February with a red-laser sight gun.

Tags
Written by

Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.