After the NBA suspended Ja Morant 25 games for holding a gun on an Instagram Live stream, the Grizzlies point guard released a statement accepting his punishment.
“I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused,” Morant said in the statement. “I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera – who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me – I’m sorry for the harm that I’ve done.”
In the statement, Morant also apologized to any kids that look up to him, saying he was “failing” them as a role model and vowing to improve. He also apologized to his sponsors and fans of all kinds.
Ja Morant statement: pic.twitter.com/KJCxTVEIRj
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2023
This offseason, Morant vows to work on himself and return next year as a better person.
“I’m spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision making,” he said. “I’m also going to be training so that I’m ready to go when I can be back on the court.”
Morant closes his statement by asking fans to give him a chance to prove he will be better.
This is the second suspension this year for Morant that revolves around him carrying a gun on video. Last season, the NBA suspended him for eight games for bringing a gun into a Denver club, and after he apologized for his actions and entered counseling before returning.
In the NBA’s announcement Friday, commissioner Adam Silver said Morant must “formulate and fulfill a program with the league” that addresses his behavior in order to be reinstated.
