Cristal Vega Perez '25
Tametrius Jamel “Ja” Morant, a professional basketball player of the Memphis Grizzlies, is facing punishment after holding a gun in a Denver-area club on social media following a game against the Denver Nuggets on March 4.
23-year-old Ja Morant’s controversial behavior led to the police and the NBA launching investigations into the situation. The Glendale, Colorado police department announced that no charges could be filed against Morant since there isn’t enough evidence to charge him.
Although the police didn’t charge him, Morant’s behavior did not go unnoticed by the NBA. The current collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and NBPA states that a player is prohibited from carrying firearms while traveling on any league-related business.
Commissioner Adam Silver was tasked with giving out punishment to Morant for violating the CBA. "Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous," Silver said. "It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him."
Although the league investigation did not find any evidence that Morant had the gun with him on Memphis' flight to Denver for that game, or that he possessed the gun while in any NBA facility, his conduct was deemed “detrimental to the league” and resulted in suspension for eight games without pay. This for sure will leave a dent in his salary, costing him around $669,000. We fans can only hope that Ja Morant has learned his lesson after this Instagram live-streaming incident.
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