Grizzlies star Ja Morant apologized Saturday and said he will “take some time away” after he was seen displaying what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub on his Instagram live feed early Saturday morning.
Morant had already been ruled out of at least the next two games for Memphis, against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday, while the league investigated the video.
With his statement, it’s unclear when Morant will return.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Morant’s statement read. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
At least one sponsor, Nike, is sticking with Morant, so far.
“We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being,” the company said in a statement.
Morant, 23, already had been trending on social media following a report from The Washington Post this week that linked him to an alleged fight with a 17-year-old and alleged threats against a mall security guard.
Charges were not brought in either of those separate incidents last summer, according to Shelby County (Tenn.) police records obtained by the Post.
In the first incident, the Post reported that a 17-year-old claimed to have been punched at least 12 times by Morant during a pick-up game at Morant’s house in Eads, Tenn., on July 26. The punches left a “large knot” that was visible to officers.
The scrum allegedly began when the two got into a verbal altercation that became heated, resulting in the teen hitting Morant in the face with the basketball, something the teen claimed was accidental.
The teen told police that Morant emerged from his house with his hand on a gun visible on his waistband.
Morant told police that he punched the teen but that the latter was the aggressor, per the Post report, which added Morant filed his own police report weeks later.
A Shelby County district attorney’s spokesman told the Post that there was “not enough evidence” to bring charges against either Morant or the teen.
In the second incident, a mall security guard claimed to have been pushed in the head by members of Morant’s entourage in the parking lot after asking them to leave, per the Post report.
That incident began when Morant’s mother got into a dispute with a store employee inside the mall, per the report. She called Morant, who then showed up with as many as nine friends.
Morant said, “Let me find out what time he gets off,” per the Post, citing the police report. The guard filed the report, saying he felt threatened.
Morant is averaging 27.1 points, 8.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 53 games (all starts) this season. He was named to his second straight All-Star Game.
The Grizzlies lost their game against the Nuggets 113-97 Friday night in Denver. They enter play Saturday as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, a game ahead of the Sacramento Kings.
Memphis is 4-5 on the season without Morant.
–Field Level Media
