NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted he was ‘shocked’ when the latest video of Ja Morant flashing a gun surfaced just weeks after he had a sit-down meeting with the young star over his previous incident.
The Memphis Grizzlies suspended Morant ‘from all team activities’ Sunday after he was seen brandishing a gun on Instagram for the second time in two months.
Morant was seen on Instagram Live in the drivers seat of a car holding a pistol on Sunday.
The clip came just two months after Silver held a meeting with Morant in New York, after he was seen in a Denver strip club holding a gun on an Instagram video that sparked a police and league investigation.
League Commissioner, Silver, explained that he had believed Morant had understood the seriousness of the first incident and was therefore left in disbelief when the second clip surfaced at the weekend.
Ja Morant appeared on an Instagram Live video on Saturday – where he was seen with a gun
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted he was ‘shocked’ at the latest incident
‘Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend — that video,’ he told ESPN ahead of the NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday night.
‘Now, we’re in the process of investigating it. We’ll figure out exactly what happened the best we can. Again, the video is grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst
Morant’s incident from back in March showed him dancing topless in a strip club before lifting a gun to the side of his head.
Hours after the incident, it was reported that it was being investigated by the NBA, and that Morant had been banned for ‘at least two games’ by the Grizzlies while the investigation continued.
Morant then issued a statement taking responsibility for his actions and explaining he would be taking time away from the game to work on his well-being.
‘I take full responsibility for my actions last night,’ he said. ‘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.’
An investigation by the Glendale, Colorado police resulted in no criminal charges and found no wrongdoing.
Back in March, Morant appeared to hold up a gun in an Instagram Live video at a Denver club
However, while Morant took time away for his well-being, which included a brief stint in a Florida treatment center, he met with Silver where he was informed that he would be suspended for eight games – including the time he had already served.
Silver revealed Tuesday that he also discussed the gravity of Morant’s actions with him and came away with the impression that the point guard understood the seriousness.
‘We talked directly about the consequences of the first before we got to a subsequent potential to have done something wrong,’ Silver said when asked by ESPN if he had informed Morant of the subsequent consequences were a similar incident to occur again.
‘We were very focused on the misconduct that was in front of us at the time. Frankly most of our conversation was about how incredibly serious the first incident was – of waving a firearm on social media.
‘Again, the consequences there – an eight game suspension was pretty serious and something that, at least to me, he appeared to take very seriously at that time.
‘We spoke for a long time, not just about the consequences that could have on his career but the safety issues around it – he could have maimed, injured, killed himself or someone else with an act like that – and also acknowledgement that he’s a star, he has an incredibly huge following, and my concern, and I thought he shared it with me, was that millions, if not tens of millions, of kids globally would see him as having done something that was celebrating.
‘I was at least left with the sense that he was taking this incredibly seriously.’
Following Silver’s interview, analyst Stephen A. Smith insisted the commissioner was doing his best to out a stop to repeat offenders in the league.
‘You’re looking at a commissioner now (Adam Silver) who is looking to dissuade repeat offenders, he is going to send a message,’ Smith said.
In the latest clip. Morant was seen on Instagram Live in the drivers seat of a car holding a pistol while singing along to the song ‘1.5’ by rapper YoungBoy NBA.
After revealing the firearm, the person recording the video immediately turned the camera away from Morant for the remainder of the clip that has surfaced.
Morant (L) was in the drivers seat of a car where he was seen holding up a pistol for the camera
In a statement to DailyMail.com on Sunday, the league said, ‘We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information.’
Silver has now appeared to confirm that the NBA is investigating the incident but it is unclear whether it will result in any criminal charges or what – if any – further action the NBA will choose to take.
The scandal is just the latest in a series of controversies that have followed Morant throughout the season – something he recently recognized as a distraction to the team.
After the Grizzlies were eliminated from the playoffs by the Lakers, Morant said, ‘I’ve just got to be better with my decision-making. That’s pretty much it. Off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just [need] more discipline.’
Morant was sued in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager, Josh Holloway, in the face during a pickup game, but the NBA star claims he was acting in self defense.
Police interviews obtained by The Washington Post reveal that the 17-year-old told detectives from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office that the point guard hit him ’12 to 13 times,’ adding that Morant’s friend struck him an additional ‘four to five times.’
Holloway claimed that as he got up to leave after the fight Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a gun.
Morant allegedly had the weapon visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun.
Morant has had a number of violent incidents this season – including a fight with a teenager
That alleged incident last summer took place at Morant’s mansion outside Memphis (pictured)
The 17-year-old plaintiff claimed he was playing pickup basketball with Morant when the two got into an argument, which quickly escalated. He admits to throwing a basketball at Morant and ‘accidentally’ hitting the 6-foot-2 guard in the face.
Morant and his friend allegedly responded by striking the 17-year-old ‘with a closed fist, knocking him to the ground’ and leaving him with a ‘large knot’ on the side of his head, according to a police report written by deputies who said they observed the boy’s injuries.
Recently, Morant filed a countersuit against Holloway saying that he lied to police officers and that the youth was the aggressor in the situation.
Morant was also involved in a separate incident at a Memphis mall last summer, after the New York Post reported that the head of security told police that Morant ‘threatened’ him during an altercation in the parking lot.
Morant’s mother reportedly got into a dispute with a employee at a shoe store at the mall and she called her son who arrived shortly after with a group of ‘as many as nine people.’
According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when confronted by the director of mall security.
Police arrived and a ‘verbal confrontation’ reportedly escalated before someone in Morant’s entourage allegedly pushed the security chief in the head, the report added.
‘As the group was leaving the premises … Ja Morant said, “Let me find out what time he gets off,”‘ police wrote.
Morant recognized the controversies as a distraction to the team (pictured with Memphis Grizzlies teammate Dillon Brooks, left)
Furthermore, there was an alleged incident following the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when acquaintances of Morant ‘aggressively confronted’ members of Indiana‘s traveling party – and someone allegedly pointed a red laser at them.
The Athletic said that Morant was riding with friend Davonte Pack and one other person in an SUV when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.
Two people who spoke to the publication anonymously said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana security guard nearby claimed ‘that’s 100 percent a gun.’ However, it was not confirmed if the laser was attached to a weapon.
The league opened an investigation into the allegation but concluded that it ‘did not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon,’ an NBA spokesperson said.
