Ja Morant is currently away from the Memphis Grizzlies after voluntarily committing to therapy in the wake of a whirlwind few weeks for the budding NBA superstar.
Morant is one of the rising stars in basketball but recently he has repeatedly hit headlines for the wrong reasons. The 23-year-old has a $200million contract with the Grizzlies alongside lucrative deals with Nike and Powerade - who were forced to suspend their biggest campaign to date featuring the All-Star in the wake of his behaviour.
In the early hours of the 4 March, the two-time All-Star posted footage on Instagram where he could be seen dancing topless in a club before he appeared to lift a firearm to the side of his head. The controversial video - filmed after Morant’s Grizzlies were defeated by the Denver Nuggets - was widely circulated on social media, and the NBA soon confirmed they were investigating the video while the Grizzlies later released a statement declaring Morant would be absent for the next two matches. Morant apologised for his actions soon after Memphis announced his suspension.
This came after other reports of Morant getting into trouble, including pointing a red laser at at Indiana Pacers fans in February as well as separate incidents reported by the Washington Post of Morant allegedly assaulting a teenager and intimidating a mall security guard. Both incidents reportedly occurred last summer.
In the aftermath of the video, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed the NBA investigation could spell serious consequences for Morant as, per the recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are not allowed to be in possession of firearms while ’travelling on any NBA-related business’. On 6 March, Colorado police department confirmed they were investigating Morant’s actions at the club, as - while Colorado is an open-carry state - it is illegal to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.
Two days later, Colorado police closed its investigation into the 23-year-old with no charge or crime, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reported ‘there was not enough available evidence to charge anyone with a crime’. Later that day, the Grizzlies confirmed Morant would miss ‘at least the next four games’.
Last Thursday, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins suggested there was a rough plan to get Morant back on court. He revealed: “There’s definitely steps that are going to need to be met personally and professionally as he deals with some stuff personally to get better. Then obviously the expectations on the team, he’s going to have some things that he’s going to have to clear to know what the expectations are when he does return. Again, he’s out at least the next four games."
Jenkins added: “His responsibility to get better personally - that’s a big factor in this. And also, his responsibility to the team is something we’re addressing with him. He’s fully on board and has been communicative with our group.”
On Monday, it was reported that Morant had voluntarily entered a counselling programme in Florida. There was no update to when he might return to action with Memphis, who sit second in the Western Conference with a 41-26 record.
“There are a lot of internal dialogues going on and obviously there's still things going on at the league level that we're in communication with,” Jenkins told Tim McMahon of ESPN. “Ja's fully engaged in this process and ready for whatever comes next after these two games.”
It is clear the Grizzlies won’t rush their star guard back as he deals with personal growth and mental well-being. The NBA playoffs being next month, with April 15 currently earmarked as the first postseason clash - and Memphis fans will hope that Morant is back by then.
