NBA suspends Morantha for 25 games for dangerous behavior.

The NBA decided to suspend Ja Morant for 25 games. Adrian Wojnarowski details Ja Morant's suspension and how it will affect the Grizzlies next season.

The NBA announced Friday that Memphis Grizzlies star Jah Morant has received a 25-game suspension at the start of the 2023-2024 season for conduct detrimental to the league.

The Grizzlies suspended Morant from team activities on May 14 after a video surfaced on social media showing the All-Star waving a weapon. In March, after a similar incident in which he was seen holding a gun while intoxicated at a Denver nightclub on a live Instagram feed, the NBA suspended Morant for eight games.

"Ja Morant's decision to display a gun on social media again is troubling and troubling given his previous behavior in March, for which he has already received an eight-game suspension," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "Particularly worrying is the potential for other young people to emulate Jan's actions. In these circumstances, we believe that a 25-match suspension is an appropriate decision and clearly demonstrates that reckless and irresponsible behavior with weapons will not be tolerated. "

According to a statement from the league, there are certain conditions associated with the disqualification to resume his participation.

"For Jah, basketball must take a back seat at this time," Silver said in a statement. "Before returning to the court, he will need to develop and execute a program with the league that directly addresses the issues that led to the recurrence of this disruptive behavior. "

While suspended, Morant will not be able to participate in league or team social events, including preseason games. Given his earnings this season, about $33.5 million, Morant would have to lose a little more than $300,000 per game - or about $7.5 million.

"I have had time to reflect and realize how much damage I have done," Morant said in a statement released Friday. "I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my partners and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Klayman and Robert Pera - who gave me the opportunity to become a professional athlete and supported me - I'm sorry for the harm done. To the kids who admire me, I apologize for my failure as a role model. I promise I'll be a better person. To my sponsors, I promise to be the best representative of their brands. And to my fans, I promise to make amends, I promise. "

"Over the offseason and my suspension, I will continue to work on my mental health and decision making. I'll also be practicing to be ready when I can get back on the court. I know my teammates will step up and I'm sorry I won't be there with you at the beginning of the season. I hope you'll give me a chance to prove to you over time that I'm a better man than what I've shown you. "

The NBA's investigation into the incident concluded a few weeks ago, but Silver decided to announce the disqualification only after the NBA Finals were over so as not to distract from the league championship.

The NBA said Friday that Morant "waved his weapon knowing he was being videotaped ...

The National Basketball Players Association on Friday expressed its displeasure with the length of Morant's suspension and the arbitrariness of the terms of his return.

"Jah has expressed regret and accepted responsibility for his actions, and we fully support him in his efforts to represent himself, our players and our league in the best possible light," NABPT executive director Tamika Tremaglio said. "As for the punishment ... we believe it is excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons, including the facts surrounding this particular incident, and that it is unfair and inconsistent with previous punishment in our league. "

NABPT said it would explore "all options and next steps" with Morant.

After the incident in March, Morant entered treatment at a Florida counseling center to learn how to better manage stress, then traveled to New York to meet with Silver at the commissioner's office.

Silver decided to suspend Morant eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league, including the six games the point guard missed, and issued a stern statement calling Morant's behavior "irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous. "

"I think he understood it wasn't about what he said," Silver said at his press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals. "It was about his future behavior. "

"Will this behavior show more responsibility in the future? I don't know. Maybe if it had been a 12 match suspension instead of an eight match suspension, would it have mattered? I know that based on precedent and his appeals, and we want to be fair to the league, it seemed appropriate at the time the decision was made. All I can say is this. Maybe by definition, as far as we've all seen the video where it appears he did it again, you could say maybe not. "

The video on Instagram Live, which surfaced in May, was posted on the page of Morant's best friend Davonte Pak, who has been involved in several of Morant's off-field incidents that sparked a league investigation.

Pak was banned from Grizzlies home games for a year following an investigation into a conflict following a Jan. 29 game against the Indiana Pacers when it was alleged that a red laser was pointed from the SJV in which Morant was riding.

Silver said at his June 1 press conference that the factors he considered in determining disqualification included "history of prior acts" as well as "individual player history" and "seriousness of the conduct".

Silver also said the failure to file charges against Morant would not prevent the league from penalizing him more.

The Memphis Grizzlies said in a statement Friday that they respect the league's decision to suspend Morant.

"Our standards as a league and a team are clear, and we expect all teammates to abide by them," the Grizzlies said, remaining.

Including the playoffs, Morant has missed 50 games over the past two seasons. Still, the Grizzlies have managed without their star with a 33-17 record in those games, including 20-5 in the 2021-2022 regular season, which is the best winning percentage for a team in NBA history in games where a player doesn't average 25 points or more, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Memphis won 11 games out of 21 games without Morant last season, including the playoffs.

Morant's five-year, $194 million contract is set to begin next season. He could have been a superstar had he made the All-NBA team this season, but that didn't happen, depriving him of an estimated $39 million in future earnings.

He has advertising contracts with Nike and Powerade, but the sports drink company pulled ads featuring him after the video in March, not showing them at this time.

"We are pleased that Jah is taking responsibility for himself and prioritizing his well-being," Nike said in a statement. "We will continue to support him both on and off the court. "

This season, Morant scored an average of 26.2 points per game and helped Memphis clinch the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, where they lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.