Ja Morant could face 50-game suspension for bringing gun on team plane / News - Basketnews.com

Ja Morant could be facing a 50-game suspension if it's proven that the Memphis Grizzlies star brought a firearm on the team plane. NBA is trying to find out where the gun was before the Instagram video.

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Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant could be facing a lengthy 50-game suspension if it's proven that he had a gun on team premises or plane, reports Marc Stein.

Ja Morant

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According to Stein, NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has a clear rule regarding carrying a weapon on team premises.

"Basically, the CBA says if there is a firearm on team premises (or on a team plane), that's an automatic 50-game suspension," Stein said on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast. "That's why the league is trying to ascertain where the gun was before the Instagram video and all other manners of questions tied to that."

It's unclear when Morant will be cleared to play again.

On Monday, police in Colorado said they were investigating Morant's actions and whether he may have broken any laws. Morant's video is believed to have been filmed in Glendale, a small enclave surrounded by Denver and known for its strip clubs and shopping centers.

Capt. Jamie Dillon said police did not receive any calls or complaints about Morant's actions but began looking into them Saturday after learning about the video circulating online.

Colorado is an open-carry state, although there are exceptions to the law, including carrying a firearm on federal property. It is illegal in Colorado to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.

NBA rules prohibit a player from possessing a firearm while on team property or traveling on team business. In the video live-streamed by Morant, it is not clear whether he is intoxicated, but others are shown drinking in the video.

Morant hosted an Instagram live from a nightclub where heshowed a gun to thousands of spectators. It's a bad view for the player recently involved in numerous gun-related incidents.

Most recently, a story emerged that he punched 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 police in 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 Pack was banned from attending Grizzlies home games at the FedEx Forum for a year after he verbally abused Indiana Pacersplayers 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.

This season Morant averages 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game over 53 contests.

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