Ja Morant Addresses IG Live Gun Incident: “I Take Full Responsibility"

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Memphis Grizzlies v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 07: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on May 07, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Ja Morant has spoken out about his recent Instagram Live video.

Ja Morant has addressed his recent Instagram Live video, in which he flashed a gun in front of his followers early Saturday morning. The Memphis Grizzlies have since suspended Morant for the next two games in response. He will miss Sunday's game against the LA Clippers and Tuesday's against the Los Angeles Lakers. Morant spoke about the live stream in a statement provided to ESPN.

“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being,” he said, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Grizzlies Star In 2022

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - APRIL 16: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts during the first half of Game One of the Western Conference First Round against the Minnesota Timberwolves at FedExForum on April 16, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

NBA spokesman Mike Bass additionally confirmed that the league is investigating the incident as well. “We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating," he said. Morant has also deactivated both his Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The antics from Morant come after the NBA recently investigated him for an incident that occurred after the Grizzlies' Jan. 29 home win. There was reportedly a confrontation between friends of Morant and the Indiana Pacers' traveling party. "While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon," Bass told The Athletic. "Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena. If additional information becomes available related to the postgame situation, the league office will conduct a further review." His longtime friend, Davonte Pack, was banned from FedExForum.

Additionally, the Grizzlies will be without Dillon Brooks for their next game, after he was suspended for receiving his 16th technical foul of the season in Friday's loss. The team is currently 38-24 and in second place in the Western Conference.

Ja Morant's Statement

[Via]

About The Author
Cole Blake
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
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