Ja Morant breaks silence after second gun-toting video: "This can be a journey"

Ja Morant spoke out Tuesday night time about his newest troubles, three days after the Memphis guard apparently held a firearm once more whereas being broadcast on social media and was suspended by the Grizzlies from all workforce actions.

He is additionally being investigated by the NBA for his actions, two months after the league suspended him for primarily the identical factor – displaying a gun on social media.

Ja Morant takes accountability for brand spanking new gun video

“I do know I’ve disenchanted lots of people who’ve supported me,” Morant stated in a press release launched Tuesday night time by his representatives. “This can be a journey and I acknowledge there may be extra work to do. My phrases could not imply a lot proper now, however I take full accountability for my actions. I am dedicated to persevering with to work on myself.”

This can be a journey and I acknowledge there may be extra work to do

Ja Morant

His feedback got here just a few hours after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed disappointment over the state of affairs. Silver handed down an eight-game suspension in March; there isn’t any manner of realizing but what penalties Morant could face this time.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is ‘shocked’

“Truthfully, I used to be shocked after I noticed, this weekend, that video,” Silver stated in a televised interview with ESPN earlier than the draft lottery in Chicago. “We’re within the strategy of investigating it and we’ll work out precisely what occurred as greatest as we are able to. The video’s a bit grainy and all that, however I am assuming the worst. We’ll work out precisely what occurred there.”

The primary video, which price Morant about $669,000 in forfeited wage, got here out in March. The second was captured Saturday night time and broadly shared on-line. It was streamed on the Instagram account of Morant affiliate Davonte Pack, an individual accustomed to the state of affairs instructed The Related Press, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of the Grizzlies haven’t commented on the specifics of the newest video.

The video streamed by Pack exhibits Morant briefly showing to show a handgun. On the very temporary second – possibly lower than a second – when Morant is proven holding what seems to be a weapon as he sits within the passenger seat of a car, the livestream had 111 viewers.

“He may have injured, maimed, killed himself, another person, with an act like that,” Silver stated. “And likewise the acknowledgement that he is a star. He has an extremely large following. And my concern – and I assumed he shared with me – that hundreds of thousands if not tens of hundreds of thousands of youngsters globally would see him as having finished one thing that was celebrating in a manner that act of utilizing a firearm in that trend.”

Morant stated in March that he wanted to work on himself, and when the season ended a pair weeks in the past, he supplied comparable ideas.

“Being disciplined on either side, off the courtroom making higher selections and on the courtroom being locked in much more,” Morant stated. “Being a pacesetter of this workforce, it just about begins with me. … I’ve bought to be higher in that space.”

Morant’s five-year, $194 million max contract is about to start this coming season. He has offers with Nike and Powerade, although the sports activities drink firm pulled an advert that includes Morant nearly instantly after the March video emerged.

That is the third identified NBA investigation surrounding Morant and the doable involvement of firearms thus far in 2023.

Morant already confronted disciplinary motion for Jan. 29 gun video

Morant’s actions had been investigated after a Jan. 29 incident in Memphis that he stated led to Pack banned from Grizzlies’ house video games for a 12 months. That incident adopted a recreation in opposition to the Indiana Pacers; citing unnamed sources, The Indianapolis Star and USA At the moment reported that a number of members of the Pacers noticed a crimson dot pointed at them whereas they had been close to the loading dock the place their bus was positioned, and The Athletic reported {that a} Pacers safety guard believed the laser was connected to a gun.

The NBA confirmed that unnamed people had been banned from the world however stated its investigation discovered no proof that anybody was threatened with a weapon.

Then got here the Denver-area incident within the early hours of March 4, after the Grizzlies performed a highway recreation in opposition to the Nuggets when Morant began a livestream from inside a strip membership whereas holding a gun. No expenses had been filed.

Morant and Pack are also concerned in a civil lawsuit introduced after an incident at Morant’s house final summer time, by which a then-17-year-old alleged that they assaulted him. Morant filed a countersuit on April 12, accusing the teenager of slander, battery and assault.