Grizzlies, league officials view Ja Morant’s latest incident as an opportunity to mature and move forward
The video was irrefutable. A shade of purple covered Ja Morant’s face and shirtless chest, his teeth then bared in a huge grin as he dangled what certainly looked like a pistol for the world to see.
There’s no gray area in the live footage Morant streamed from his Instagram account last Friday night, despite the dim lighting of the feed from Shotgun Willie’s, a strip club in Glendale, Colorado, following a loss to the Denver Nuggets . It was the latest in a series of troubling incidents surrounding the fourth-year Memphis Grizzlies All-Star.
Memphis officials, both privately and publicly, have declined to elaborate on specific moves the Grizzlies all-star point guard is taking from here. Head Coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters in Los Angeles, “We keep those dialogues inside as we frame all that stuff. This is our internal business.” Clearly, the Grizzlies see this moment as an opportunity for Morant to break free from a chain of disturbing events, all linked to alleged gun possession and allegations of threatened violence. The organization appears to be placing responsibility on the 23-year-old franchise point guard while also expressing support for his overall well-being and growth.
Since the Instagram debacle, Morant and his immediate family have shown a newfound vulnerability and acceptance of taking responsibility for his precarious behavior, league sources told Yahoo Sports. They turned to local Memphis confidants and other advisors for the best approach and how to turn a necessary corner. It can all be viewed as convenient timing, but if accurate and enduring, it’s a real behavioral shift from the way Morant and his staff have responded to accusations and criticism throughout this turbulent season.
After Morant’s father, Tee Morant, and his close friend, Vomite Pack, waded to the ground during a skirmish with Pacers players during a game against Indiana on Jan. 29, the league’s investigation led to Pack’s suspension from the FedEx forums until further notice was banned, sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports. And Morant responded by tweeting it was “incredible” that the league had “banned my brother from home games for a year” over the incident. Morant has since deactivated his Twitter account – and his Instagram account following the footage in Colorado.
An NBA investigation has failed to confirm harrowing claims that a red laser from a rolling SUV — in which Morant and various acquaintances were riding — was aimed at members of the Pacers’ tour group at the FedEx Forum after the game. A police investigation also found no evidence Morant brandished a firearm at a pickup game at his home during an incident in July. Morant’s attorneys claimed any violence he used was in self-defense, as detailed in a lengthy Washington Post report.
Perhaps this moment is truly the proverbial wake-up call for Morant and the responsibilities of his circle. Just a week before that Pacers game, Tee Morant approached Fox Sports personality Shannon Sharpe on the sidelines of Crypto.com Arena, and what started with Sharpe and Grizzlies guard Dillon spitting Brooks trash talk escalated into chaos between Tee and Sharpe. League personnel—from agents to opposing team officials—were aware that Tee and others close to Ja in Grizzlies competitions exhibited a consistent pattern of harmful behavior on the field side.
Now, the league has opened another investigation following Ja Morant’s social media post, shortly followed by Memphis’ announcement on Saturday that Morant will be away from the Grizzlies for at least the team’s two games in Los Angeles. A Colorado police investigation found no evidence to charge Morant with any criminal activity on the night in question. What remains to be clarified by the NBA is how exactly Morant gained control of a gun during a road trip. The CBA specifically states that NBA players “may not possess firearms of any kind or other deadly weapons” when a player is present at a team event, including “whenever a player is traveling on an NBA-related business.”
While that initial two-game timeline for Morant’s absence came to an end following Tuesday night’s loss to the Lakers, there is no timetable for Morant’s return to basketball while the NBA seeks more information, league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports, and how Morant is looking “to get help and work to learn better ways of dealing with stress,” as his statement on Saturday afternoon suggested.
This could also be a moment for the NBA to set a current precedent. There are many league officials who believe the commissioner’s office will not institute a harsh punishment for Morant, a rising face of the league who broke into the top 10 for NBA jersey sales for the first time in January. He has not been found guilty of any offense and Morant only started in the All-Star Game a few weeks ago. Nike, which was set to release its signature Ja 1 sneaker in April, responded with a statement that “we appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he takes the time to get the help he needs.” We support his prioritization of his well-being.” The NBA’s business also certainly has much to lose if Morant is sidelined for an extended period, especially a period that would extend into the postseason.
But there are also plenty of player representatives and team leaders who support a lengthy suspension — barring competitive grounds — for Morant, who has signed a five-year extension worth around $200 million to begin next season. With salary numbers booming and expected to rise as part of the NBA’s next anticipated post-season television contract in 2024-25, there are certainly shared concerns among team decision-makers — as has always been the case with gathering player information prior to the draft — of how such exorbitant salaries play out can affect the mentality of 20-year-olds. “It’s so easy to lose your sense of reality,” an assistant executive told Yahoo Sports.
More young stars will be drafted into the top 5 and anointed as organizational saviors, their friends and families will be given keys to a franchise’s kingdom and the freedom to open whatever doors inside the palace they want. If Morant loses understanding of how to function as the Grizzlies’ responsible lifeblood and there is no real repercussion on his worrying pattern of behavior, it could potentially allow another phenomenon to act so freely and dangerously. Several league figures contacted by Yahoo Sports cited the important background to a confusing chain of gun violence ravaging this country at large, while Brandon Miller, a top 2023 NBA draft pick from Alabama, continued to investigate, according to Tuscaloosa police for the Crimson Tide testifies that Miller supplied a former teammate and another man with a gun that she allegedly used to kill a woman.
Predicting the length of the NBA investigation is always a challenge, and there’s no telling at this point how the league will ultimately respond to Morant’s social media post, which a players agent described as “a middle finger for Adam Silver and the office of the… commissioner”. It is significant that Memphis did not view Morant’s continued absence as a suspension, and the CBA prohibits teams and the league from pursuing disciplinary sanctions for the same act. The League will attempt to meet with Morant and his representatives before finalizing their results.
For now, the Grizzlies appear to be proceeding with a wait-and-see approach, brimming with optimism that this can all serve as a productive springboard for Morant and the future of the franchise. He’s considered a popular teammate who, according to Yahoo Sports, presents rookies with custom-made Louis Vuitton luggage on their first day at the Grizzlies’ facility. Memphis is known for having a tight-knit locker room without the selfish rifts and jealousy that can swirl through a roster in such a competitive environment. And this is a franchise that has absolute championship aspirations for this season, with the Brooklyn Grizzlies offering several first-round picks ahead of the February trading deadline, sources tell Yahoo Sports, first for Kevin Durant and then for Mikal Bridges.
However, every contentious conversation and every future window for Memphis to repeatedly contend for a title has reached a definitive tipping point. The League and the Grizzlies are certainly hoping that this will be the last actual event that anyone can ever speak of Morant and this type of activity again. Whatever action is taken to ensure this, by the NBA and the franchise, will speak volumes.