Memphis Cops Do Welfare Check On Ja Morant After He Posts Cryptic Photos And Messages

Ja Morant posted a series of cryptic photos and messages to his Instagram on Wednesday that had NBA fans concerned about the Memphis Grizzlies star. Memphis police responded to the concerning posts by performing a welfare check on Morant at his home in the area.

A spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office told TMZ that officers went to Morant's home where he told them that "he is fine" and is "taking a break from social media."

Morant posted, and then later deleted, pictures of his mom, father, and young daughter before posting a photo with the message 'bye.'

The 23-year-old was recently suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies after appearing on Instagram Live with a gun for the second time in less than two months.

His first gun incident occurred in March when he flashed a gun on Instagram Live while streaming inside a Denver-area strip club. He was suspended for eight games and briefly entered rehab before returning to the floor.

READ: NIKE PULLS JA MORANT’S SHOES AFTER LATEST GUN INCIDENT

Many NBA fans speculated that Morant's 'bye' message on Instagram was referencing the suspension he's very likely facing to begin the 2023-24 season.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver reacted to Morant’s latest gun-waving antics rather harshly saying he was “assuming the worst.”

“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video,” Silver said shortly after the video went viral. “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.”

Morant averaged 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in what was his fourth NBA season this past year.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @itismarkharris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of 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.