Ja Morant gives first interview since gun incident: 'The gun wasn't mine' / News - Basketnews.com

Ja Morant talked publicly for the first time since flashing a gun and getting suspended by the Grizzlies and NBA. He acknowledged his terrible mistake to ESPN's Jalen Rose and admitted that he doesn't condone any type of violence.

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

Following NBA's announcement about an eight-game suspension for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, U.S. media giant ESPN released an exclusive interview clip with the 23-year-old guard, who recently flashed a gun on social media at the Denver nightclub.

2-pointers this season

54%31,6Points made:31,6Accuracy:54,1%Place in standings:6Record max:45Record min:20Most made 2FGs:Ja MorantTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

Since that day, Morant has taken a break from basketball, Instagram and Twitter, and had reportedly entered a counseling program in Florida.

"Me personally, I feel mentally good that I haven't been in many years," Morant told Jalen Rose about the last 10 days. "I'm in a space where I'm very comfortable. I was constantly talking to therapists. I've been doing Reiki treatment, I'm doing anxiety breathing. Different stuff to help me manage that and release all that stuff from my body."

Morant is eligible to return to the Grizzlies lineup on March 20 vs. Dallas Mavericks, the league says.

However, he hadn't been playing basketball while at a counseling center in Florida, so his ramp-up is expected to extend past Monday's game vs. Dallas, via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. It's expected that Morant will return to play shortly thereafter.

"I've made a terrible mistake. I've put myself in a bad position," Morant acknowledged to ESPN.

"Also, my daughter... there are times when she even tells me that she is having a bad day, and I feel like, if she can tell me that, I could talk with somebody as well."

Morant got into trouble after he hosted an Instagram live from a nightclub where he showed a gun to thousands of spectators. The team hassuspended the player.

While he was away from the team facility,a photo was leaked from the nightclub that shows Morant with strip dancers and almost every inch of surface covered in cash.

"The gun wasn't mine," he revealed. "It's not who I am. I don't condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I've made a bad mistake.

Memphis Grizzlies / Schedule

Memphis Grizzlies Golden State Warriors131-110 Memphis Grizzlies Dallas Mavericks112-108 Dallas Mavericks Memphis Grizzlies88-104 Miami Heat Memphis Grizzlies138-119 San Antonio Spurs Memphis GrizzliesSat00:00 Memphis Grizzlies Golden State WarriorsSun00:00 Memphis Grizzlies Dallas MavericksTue00:00

"I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes, but in the future, I'm going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about, and change this narrative," Morant added.

The player's been entrenched in a public scandal during the last months. Most recently, a story emerged that hepunched a teenager during a basketball gamein his home in Tennessee. After the incident, he allegedly re-emerged from the house with a gun visible in the waistband of his pants and his hand on the weapon.

During the summer, Morant also got involved in averbal altercation with Memphis policein one of the city's malls when he and his friends refused the security guard's demands to leave the mall parking lot.

The Grizzlies star was recently involved in another incident involving a gun. Morant's long-time friend Devonte Packwas banned from attending Grizzlies home gamesat the FedExForum for a year after he verbally abusedIndiana Pacers players during and after the game. Although the Pacers believed a gun was pointed at them after the game, the NBA denied it in their report.

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