Ja Morant Releases Statement After Disturbing Instagram Live
The Grizzlies star apologized in a statement on social media.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant issued a statement later Saturday evening, apologizing for his recent actions on social media.
Morant was seen on Instagram Live early Saturday morning brandishing a firearm inside a nightclub mere hours after scoring 27 points in the Grizzlies’ 113-97 loss to the Nuggets on Friday night.
Jim Tanner, Morant’s agent, released a statement on behalf of the two-time All-Star, saying that Morant takes “full responsibility” for his actions in the Instagram video.
“I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies’ organization for letting you down,” the statement read. “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.”
Morant’s apology comes after the NBA announced that it was opening an investigation into into Morant’s social media post.
The Grizzlies also announced that the 23-year-old will be away from the team for at least the next two games as the league examines the activity. Memphis (38–24) currently sits at No. 2 in the Western Conference, six games behind the No. 1 seed Nuggets (45–19).
As the Grizz look to keep pace with Denver in the conference, Memphis will face the Clippers on Sunday, followed by the Lakers on Tuesday.
Morant’s controversial Instagram Live comes days after the Grizzlies star made more headlines. The Washington Post released a report on Wednesday afternoon about a string of incidents involving Morant, documenting allegations and police reports that he punched a 17-year-old in the head during a pickup basketball game in summer 2022. The teenager told investigators that the Grizzlies star then went into his house and later returned with his hand on a gun in his waistband, per the report.
The incident reportedly happened four days after a security guard inside of a mall in Memphis filed a police report, stating that Morant threatened him while one of Morant’s associates pushed him, though no arrests were made from the incident.