The Memphis Grizzlies mentioned Saturday that their star guard Ja Morant can be away from the staff for at the very least two video games, simply hours after the N.B.A. mentioned it might examine a social media put up that appeared to point out Morant holding a gun.
The Grizzlies didn’t instantly reply to questions in regards to the social media put up, the rationale for Morant’s absence and whether or not he had been suspended. A number of folks posted video clips on social media on Saturday that appeared to point out Morant in a stay video on his Instagram account holding a gun and smiling in a nightclub. No stay movies matching the clips circulating on social media had been on Morant’s verified Instagram account mid-Saturday morning. By the afternoon, Morant’s Instagram and Twitter accounts had been deactivated.
In an announcement, Morant, 23, mentioned he took “full duty for my actions final night time,” with out being particular about what he was referring to, and he apologized for letting folks down.
“I’m going to take a while away to get assist and work on studying higher strategies of coping with stress and my general well-being,” Morant said in the statement, which was posted on Twitter by Tandem, the company that represents him.
On Friday night time, the Grizzlies misplaced a street recreation in opposition to the Denver Nuggets. Based on the N.B.A.’s collective bargaining settlement, gamers are barred from having firearms at staff amenities or when touring on league enterprise.
Morant, a rising star within the N.B.A., is already among the best guards within the league. He has made the All-Star staff the final two seasons and has helped revitalize the Grizzlies since he gained the Rookie of the 12 months Award in 2020. He just lately debuted his first signature shoe with Nike and his jersey is without doubt one of the top-sellers in the N.B.A. On Wednesday, the sports activities drink Powerade introduced a partnership with him.
Morant will at the very least miss the Grizzlies’ street video games in opposition to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Memphis is the No. 2 seed within the Western Convention, at 38-24.