Ja Morant says he doesn't have alcohol problem / News - Basketnews.com

Ja Morant believes he doesn't have an alcohol problem, adding that he will be more responsible and less active on the social media in the future.

Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant participated in his first practice on Tuesday after his 8-game suspension and spoke with the media members.

Ja Morant

Team:Memphis GrizzliesPosition:PGAge:23Height:190 cmWeight:79 kgBirth place:South Carolina, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The 23-year-old spent 11 days in a Florida counseling facility following an appearance with a gun in the nightclub an Instagram Live video.

"Obviously took that time to better myself, get in a better space mentally," Morant said. "It's an ongoing process, a continued process for me. Obviously, I've been there for two weeks, but that doesn't mean I'm completely better. So that's an ongoing process for me that I've still been continuing since I've come out."

In the statement from the league announcing the suspension, NBA commissioner Adam Silver determined Morant was in an "intoxicated state" during the video.

However, Morant believes that he does not have an alcohol problem.

"I don't have an alcohol problem, never had an alcohol problem," Morant said. "I went [to Florida] for counseling to learn how to manage stress, cope with stress in a positive way instead of ways I've tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes."

The Grizzlies star also said he's going to be more responsible in the future and less active on social media after reactivating his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

"Obviously, I've made mistakes in the past that cause a lot of negative attention. Not only to me but my family as well, my team, and the organization. I'm completely sorry for that," Morant continued. "So my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don't cause any of that no more."

Morant also admitted that he feels pressure because of possible fans' reactions when he returns to the court.

It is expected that Morant will return to the lineup coming off the bench to gradually increase his minutes.

"It's a lot, man," Morant said. "A lot of people don't know what's going on - not in my shoes right now with everything that's been going on as of late. Obviously, I take responsibility for decisions I've made that pretty much hurt me to the core.

"Like I said, it not only affected me, but it affected everyone around me. My family, this organization, my teammates and caused me not to be out there on the floor. Which one thing I love to do the most is [to] play basketball. So it's a lot, but like I said before, it's an ongoing process with everything I've been doing the past two weeks, and I'm going to continue to do that to get through everything I need to be healthy."

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