The Memphis Grizzlies shared a Twitter statement after footage of Morant circulated on-line. A video streamed on Instagram Live Saturday appeared to point out the 23-year-old holding a gun whereas surrounded by mates in a automotive.

"We’re conscious of the social media video involving Ja Morant," the Grizzlies' assertion reads. "He’s suspended from all crew actions pending League overview. We have now no additional remark presently."

It’s the second time since March that Morant has confronted suspension for brandishing a gun in a video shared on social media. 

The NBA suspended Morant for eight video games with out pay over what they referred to as "conduct detrimental to the league." The suspension got here 11 days after Morant began an Instagram Stay put up from a strip membership exhibiting a gun he was holding.

The suspension included the six video games Morant missed when he voluntarily stepped away from the crew to hunt assist. The suspension price Morant almost $700,000 of his $12.1 million wage, in response to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

In simply his fourth season within the NBA, the 23-year-old Morant is already seen by many as the long run face of the NBA, following within the steps of LeBron James and Steph Curry. The 2-time All-Star is without doubt one of the most fun gamers within the league along with his high-flying dunks and can also be seen as the important thing to the well being of the Grizzlies in Memphis, the NBA's smallest market.

In March, Commissioner Adam Silver addressed these points within the NBA's preliminary suspension assertion. 

"Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and doubtlessly very harmful," Silver wrote. "It additionally has critical penalties given his huge following and affect, significantly amongst younger followers who look as much as him. He has expressed honest contrition and regret for his habits. Ja has additionally made it clear to me that he has discovered from this incident and that he understands his obligations and accountability to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA neighborhood prolong properly past his play on the court docket."

Following the 2021-22 season, wherein Morant was named an All-Star for the primary time, he signed a max rookie extension for 5 years that will probably be value as a lot as $193 million.

Morant had a one-word response on Twitter. 

—Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

Late within the 2021-22 season, simply as Morant was changing into the NBA's newest famous person, he acquired right into a confrontation on Twitter with someone who seemed to be trolling him over a girl he was courting. Morant responded, in a now-deleted tweet, with the assertion: "It's free to see how hole feels."

Many interpreted that as a risk to shoot the individual.

—R3LLY (@wocktwin14) May 14, 2022

In keeping with Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Put up, the pinnacle of safety at a Memphis mall filed a police report saying Morant "threatened" him throughout an altercation within the car parking zone. The guard stated that someone with Morant shoved him within the head.

It was reported that Morant's mom acquired into an altercation with a mall worker and referred to as Morant who confirmed up with "a bunch of as many as 9 different folks."

No fees had been filed in relation to the incident.

The gun movies are simply the most recent troubling incidents for Morant.

Throughout an low season pickup basketball sport at Morant's home final July, a 17-year-old accused Morant of attacking him after a verbal altercation, in response to court docket data obtained by TMZ.

The teenager instructed the police he unintentionally hit Morant within the face with the basketball through the argument, which led Morant to punch the boy, knocking him to the bottom, after which repeatedly hit him with the assistance of one other man.

The native district legal professional selected to not cost Morant over the incident, however the teen later filed a lawsuit in opposition to Morant, in response to TMZ.

Morant instructed police that the teenager threw the ball at his face deliberately after which approached him as if he wished to combat. The NBA participant additionally accused the teenager of threatening to "mild his home up," which Morant interpreted as a risk to go get a gun.

Morant filed his personal police report over the risk.

The Washington Put up later reported that, after the combat, the teenager additionally accused Morant of going into his home and coming again out with a gun in his waistband and his hand on the gun.

Throughout a January sport in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, at the very least one good friend of Morant appeared to get right into a verbal altercation with gamers. Devonte Pack, the identical good friend accused of additionally punching {the teenager} at Morant's home, was seemingly ejected from his seat.

—Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) January 30, 2023

In keeping with The Athletic, "acquaintances" of Morant confronted members of the Pacers close to their crew bus after the sport. A verbal altercation lasted for almost 20 minutes, in response to the report.

Morant then entered one of many automobiles belonging to the group. Staff of the Pacers say they then noticed a crimson laser coming from that automotive pointed at them.

After an NBA investigation, they concluded that there was a confrontation however that they "couldn’t corroborate that any particular person threatened others with a weapon."

"Ja is a extremely good basketball participant," Sharpe stated on his Fox Sports activities present, "Undisputed." "Ja did the whole lot he might to raise himself and his household out of one of these atmosphere and to get away from this and for some cause he needs to encompass himself with these kind of individuals. Why? Bruh, you not exhausting. That's not your life. Individuals in that life would give something to be in your life."

Others say Morant's difficulty is extra about maturity and adjusting to his newfound fame and cash.

Morant grew up in a rural space of South Carolina and went to highschool in Sumter, with a inhabitants of lower than 50,000. Teammate Tyus Jones instructed The Athletic that Morant is simply going via rising pains.

"Every year [Morant] is getting extra consideration, and he'll develop into one of many faces of the league," Jones stated. "So with that comes extra accountability each on and off the court docket. Generally that simply takes some rising pains that it’s a must to undergo. It's not the identical scenario for him because it was final 12 months. It's not the identical final 12 months because it was the 12 months earlier than. So it’s a must to proceed to develop, proceed to study. It's simply life classes."

After leaving the counseling program, Morant sat down for an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose.

"I really feel mentally good that I haven't been in a few years," Morant instructed Rose. "I'm in an area the place I'm very snug. I used to be continuously speaking to therapists. I've been doing Reiki remedy. I've been doing nervousness respiratory, completely different stuff to assist me handle that and launch all that stuff from my physique."

Morant referred to as occurring Instagram Stay whereas within the membership "a horrible mistake," however stated the gun wasn't his.

"The gun wasn't mine," Morant stated. "It's not who I’m, I don't condone any kind of violence, however I take full accountability for my actions. I made a nasty mistake and I can see the picture that I painted over myself with my current errors, however sooner or later, I'm going to point out everyone who Ja actually is, what I'm about and alter this narrative."

The NBA stated they may not present that the gun was Morant's or that he had introduced the gun with him on the crew flight to Denver.

After Morant's late-night membership incident with the gun, The Athletic reported that the crew had modified their journey plans after street video games. 

"There have even been journey measures taken to curtail nightlife habits this season, with the Grizzlies leaving extra street cities (particularly the glitzier ones, like Miami) instantly after the sport as an alternative of staying in a single day," Joe Vardon and Sam Amick wrote.

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins stated extra adjustments are coming.

"We [will] sit down and discuss to him and information him via this course of," Jenkins instructed The Athletic. "That's going to be our focus, on and off the court docket. As I stated to start with, assist and accountability — that's what we’re centered on. Not simply in these current couple of weeks, however shifting ahead.

"Clearly, issues are going to be completely different."