Morant suspension was announced on June 16
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear that he wanted to wait until after the Finals to announce the suspension awaiting Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. That day came on Friday June 16, when the league released a statement that said Morant is suspended 25 games for “reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns [which] will not be tolerated”.
The NBPA released a statement that called the suspension “excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons”, further citing that the punishment is not “fair and consistent with past discipline in our league”. The NBPA seems to be planning an appeal of sorts on Morant’s behalf, but the stipulations of the suspension also include guidelines that Morant must “formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Ja Morant suspensions
This new 25-game ban isn’t the first for Morant, who was also suspended eight games in March after he was shown with a firearm during an Instagram Live video. This most recent suspension came after Durant was filmed with a firearm in a friend’s car.
Morant completed counseling after the first suspension as part of his checklist to return, but it took less than two months for another video to come out with Morant holding a gun. Among the league’s concerns is that “the potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning”.