NBA suspends Grizzlies guard Ja Morant eight games

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) waits for time to expire in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) ORG XMIT: TNBD

According to David Close of CNN Sports on Wednesday, the National Basketball Association has suspended Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant of Dalzell, South Carolina eight games following an investigation. The 23-year old was allegedly seen on Instagram with a gun at a Colorado night club following the Grizzlies’s 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 3.

Morant had been inactive for the last five games while the NBA did an investigation. The suspension does include the games Morant has already missed, so that means Morant will also miss the Grizzlies games against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.  League officials stated that Morant’s conduct was “detrimental to the league,” but could not conclude if the gun belonged to Morant or if he possessed the gun at a NBA facility.

In 53 games this season, Morant is averaging 27.1 points per game. He also has 8.2 assists per game, six rebounds per game, and 1.1 steals per game. Morant also has a field goal percentage of .463, three-point percentage of .316, and a free throw percentage of .744.

This was the second straight year that Morant is a NBA All-Star. Last year he averaged a career-high 27.4 points per game and was named the NBA’s most improved player. 

The Grizzlies are second in the West. They are at 41 wins and 26 losses.

It will be interesting to see how Morant will progress as a person after this incident. Will legal issues continue or will Morant learn from this mistake?

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