Grizzlies' Ja Morant steps away to 'get help' after recent incidents

Ja Morantwill be away from the Memphis Grizzlies for at least their next twogames, the team announced Saturday, not long after the NBA openedan investigation into a social media post by the guard after helivestreamed himself holding what appeared to be a gun at anightclub.

Morant saidin a statement distributed through the agency that represents himthat he takes “full responsibility” for his actions — adding thathe was going to “take some time away to get help.”

The video wasstreamed by Morant on his Instagram page early Saturday, hoursafter the Grizzlies played in Denver. They were flying to LosAngeles on Saturday for games against the Clippers on Sunday andthe Lakers on Tuesday.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant was allegedly seenshowing off a gun on his IG Live this morning.pic.twitter.com/HlhvoWlnYy

Morant willmiss those two games, at minimum, the Grizzlies said, without anyfurther comment.

“We are awareof a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,”NBA spokesman Mike Bass said earlier Saturday.

The leaguewill try to speak with Morant as part of that investigation, thoughit is unclear when any meeting may occur. Morant apologized in thestatement released by Tandem Sports + Entertainment.

“I take fullresponsibility for my actions last night,” Morant said. “I’m sorryto my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city ofMemphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learningbetter methods of dealing with stress and my overallwell-being.”

It was notimmediately clear what Morant meant by “help” or if he planned tobe away from the team for longer than the two-game minimumannounced by the Grizzlies.

The league,if it finds wrongdoing, could fine or suspend Morant. Based on theGrizzlies’ statement, the earliest Morant could play again isThursday at home against Golden State. His Instagram and Twitteraccounts were disabled shortly after the Grizzlies announced hisabsence.

Memphis iscurrently No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, led by Morant,a two-time All-Star averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists pergame.

This is atleast the second time in the last few weeks that Morant has beenthe subject of a league investigation. Morant’s actions wereinvestigated by the league after aJan. 29 incident inMemphisthat he said led to a friend of his being bannedfrom home games there for a year.

That incidentwas following a game against the Indiana Pacers; citing unnamedsources, The Indianapolis Star and USA Today reported that multiplemembers of the Pacers saw a red dot pointed at them, and TheAthletic reported that a Pacers security guard believed the laserwas attached to a gun.

The NBAconfirmed that unnamed individuals were banned from the arena butsaid its investigation found no evidence that anyone was threatenedwith a weapon.

Morantresponded to that incident by tweeting that the reports “paint thisnegative image on me and my fam. & banned my brother from homegames for a year. unbelievable.” During the Jan. 29 game, there wasbarking between Pacers players and friends of Morant seated alongthe sideline. A close friend of Morant’s, Davonte Pack, wasescorted from the arena as Pacers bench players shouted in Pack’sdirection.

Pack andMorant also are involved in a civil lawsuit brought after anincident at Morant’s home this past summer, in which a 17-year-oldalleged that they assaulted him. The Shelby County districtattorney’s office said in January that it was “aware of theincident, and after careful review of the facts, decided that therewas not enough evidence to proceed with a case.”

There isprecedent for the NBA when sanctioning a player over conductinvolving guns. In January 2010, then-Commissioner David Sternsuspended Washington’s Gilbert Arenas indefinitely without payafter saying the player’s behavior made him “not currently fit totake the court.”

Thesuspension followed Arenas getting photographed before a game inPhiladelphia playfully pointing his index fingers in a gunimitation at his teammates while he was under investigation byfederal and local authorities after admittedly bringing guns intothe Wizards’ locker room.

Arenasultimately missed 50 games, the rest of the 2009-10 season.

Morant, theNo. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has become a full-fledgedsuperstar. His five-year, $194 million extension with the Grizzlieskicks in to start next season and would rise to about $230 millionif he makes an All-NBA team this season.

He also is asought-after endorser. On Christmas, Nike unveiled Morant’s firstsignature shoe, which is set to be released in the coming weeks.And earlier this week, Powerade announced a multiyear endorsementdeal with Morant.

On the sameday the Powerade deal was revealed, The Washington Post published astory, based on police recordsit obtained, detailing how Morant and some associates “have beenaccused of threatening and even violent behavior,” the newspapersaid.

The questionsabout Morant’s conduct come at a time when gun violence again is aprominent talking point in the sports world.

Top NBA draftprospect Brandon Miller and his Alabama teammate Jaden Bradley, bycourtroom revelations, have beenlinked to the scene of akilling. Neither has been charged or accused of a crime, butthen-teammate Darius Miles and another man are facing capitalmurder charges.

And NewMexico State’s men’s basketball season was shut down in Februarybecause of afatal shooting and allegations oflocker-room hazing. Mike Peake, the New Mexico State playerimplicated in the shooting death of New Mexico player BrandonTravis in November, said he was acting in self-defense and has notbeen charged with a crime.