After a brief hiatus from the Grizzlies, star point guard Ja Morant is working on getting back to the court and re-joining his teammates.
In a ruling by the NBA, Morant will have to serve an 8-game suspension before he gets back which is actually pretty light when compared to what it could have been. In fact, he’s already ramping up for a return.
The only thing that saved him from a more severe penalty is the fact that, according to the NBA’s investigation, the gun Morant flashed on his social media was apparently not his.
“Based on the information obtained during the investigation, the league did not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant, was brought by him into the nightclub or was displayed by him beyond a brief period,” said the league in a statement.
NBA: "Based on the information obtained during the investigation, the league did not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant, was brought by him into the nightclub or was displayed by him beyond a brief period."
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) March 15, 2023
The league has really strict rules that forbid players from carrying a weapon of any kind into arenas or the team plane. So if the gun was Ja’s, and he carried it with him on the team’s road trip, it could have led to some major problems for the young star.
Either way, displaying it for the world to see was a pretty big mistake from the All-NBA level talent.
“If you could’ve carried a gun and you’ve been doing it for years, and nobody catches you, nobody knows,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “But when you pull your phone out, swipe, click, swipe again, hit that button, wait for the connection, it’s your fault.”
Fortunately, the situation will not end as badly as it could have — but it still draws some major questions about Morant and the Grizzlies as the NBA playoffs loom.
Can The Grizzlies Still Make A Playoff Run?
Despite all the controversies, the Grizzlies are still sitting in a good spot at 2nd in the West. With a 41-26 record, they’ve been solid for most of the season even though several core players have missed large chunks of time.
Now, the Grizzlies will have to push on for a few more weeks without their top player, and that stretch could ultimately determine where they finish in the standings.
But no matter how you feel about Ja or his Grizzlies, nobody can deny they are dangerous when whole and it looks like they’ll be at full strength in time for the first round.
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