Ja Morant is having a great season on the court, but off the court is another story.
Legal issues have begun to pile up for the Memphis Grizzlies star who is now suspended for at least two games while being investigated by the league for allegedly waving a gun around at a nightclub on Instagram Live early Saturday morning.
Ja Morant’s Legal Troubles Have Been Taking Center Court For The NBA Star
After Friday night’s 113-97 road loss against the Denver Nuggets, the 23-year-old player went to a nightclub and got on Instagram Live where he can be seen rapping with friends. At one point during the Live, he was also seen flashing a gun. And while Instagram Live videos are deleted after concluding, his social media activity was screen recorded, screen shotted, and reposted many times on the internet.
Ja Morant was allegedly seen showing off a gun in his IG Live this morning. 😳 pic.twitter.com/zOuopMbpCb
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 4, 2023
According to USA Today Sports, Morant “will be away from the team for at least the next two games,” the Grizzlies announced on Saturday, after the NBA opened an investigation into Morant. The NBA star will miss at least Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Morant issued a statement and apology via his agent, Jim Tanner. “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. 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.”
Since the Instagram Live debacle, Morant’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were deleted and although his TikTok page is still there, there are no videos shared on the page.
Ja Morant has deactivated his Instagram and Twitter accounts. pic.twitter.com/PG5aBkgwxr
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) March 4, 2023
Ja Morant’s Instagram Live Isn’t The Only Legal Issue He’s Currently Facing
While the NBA star is at a serious turning point in his career – playing at a high level, being an endorser for Powerade and recently debuting his first signature shoe with Nike – he also has some legal issues to tend to.
Just last week, allegations that Morant punched a teenager multiple times during a pick-up basketball game at Morant’s home last June have resurfaced. According to the Washington Post, police records obtained indicated that Morant was being accused of hitting the 17-year-old, although prosecutors said there is not enough evidence to file charges. The teenager alleges that Morant knocked him to the ground and gave him a “large knot” on his head, and then went into his house to get a gun.
Tanner, Morant’s agent, denied the allegations saying they were made public to “tarnish his reputation for their own financial gain.”
Morant was also allegedly involved in another incident at a Memphis mall in which Morant is being accused of threatening a security guard, but no report was filed.
The most recent allegation from the end of January is that someone in Morant’s car apparently pointed a red laser, believed to be attached to a gun, at members of the Indiana Pacers’ travel party. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said the incident was “addressed internally” by the team.
Ja Morant Has Also Made Headlines For Good Deeds Recently
Morant has also captured attention for good reasons in the recent past. In early January, the NBA star stepped in to help a young fan when her autographed basketball was stolen at a Memphis Grizzlies game. After the 11-year-old fan’s mom took to social media to tell her story, Morant asked for the family’s information so he could make the bad situation a little bit better.
Morant reached out to the family to invite them to a game, gifted the young fan his game-worn jersey and Ja 1 Nike shoes that had yet to be released. “It’s something I pretty much love to do,” Morant said about the caring gesture. “You touch somebody’s heart like that. A big fan of the Grizzlies for years. It’s moments like that that mean the most to them. Something they will never forget.”
Just last month, a TikTok basketball content creator shared a video clip of Morant signing his game-worn shoes and giving them to his daughter to give to a young fan in a wheelchair.
