Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will be suspended by the NBA for the first 25 games, the league announced in a statement.
Morant was seen brandishing a firearm on social media for the second time in six months in May. For the first infraction, he was suspended by the league for eight games. He is currently suspended from offseason activities by the Grizzlies.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the situation earlier this month.
“We look at both the history of prior acts, but then we look at the individual player’s history as well, and the seriousness, of course, of the conduct,’ Silver told reporters. “So those are all things that get factored. It’s not an exact science. It comes down to judgment at the end of the day on the part of me and my colleagues in the league office.
“He seems to be a fine young man, in terms of my dealings with him,. I think he’s clearly made some mistakes, but he’s young and I’m hoping now, once we conclude, at the end of our process what the appropriate discipline is, that it’s not just about the discipline. It’s about now what (the league), the players association, his team and the people around him are going to do to create better circumstances going forward. That’s ultimately what’s most important here.”
Morant and the Grizzlies finished second in thew Western Conference this past season, before being eliminated by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
By announcing his suspension now, the NBA is giving the Grizzlies to address their needs ahead of the draft and free agency at the end of the month.
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