The Memphis Grizzlies have suspended All-Star point guard Ja Morant after he was seen holding a gun on an Instagram live video this weekend. The video surfaced early on Sunday, May 14.
Morant was in a parked vehicle with three other individuals. The Grizzlies star sat in the passenger side while Devonte Pack sat in the driver’s seat and streamed the video on his Instagram account (@_dtap2). Pack played college basketball at Friends Univeristy and played in the Miami Pro League with Morant. He owns a clothing brand called MBNO– an acronym for My Brothers No Others and has been working close to Morant with his apparel.
The group was listening to music, with Morant and Pack more engaged than the individuals in the backseat. Morant is then seen holding a gun in his left hand. Pack quickly panned away from Morant, but screenshots from the footage clearly show the weapon.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant was allegedly seen holding a gun on an IG Live yesterday.pic.twitter.com/bqvwbwgd9m
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 14, 2023
A statement from the Grizzlies says that Morant has been suspended from all team activities while the NBA reviews the situation.
This is Morant’s second suspension for flashing firearms on social media. In March, the 23-year-old got suspended for eight games after flashing a gun during a live stream on his Instagram account. The incident happened days after police reports surfaced about Morant assaulting a mall security guard and jumping a teenager in his home in Memphis.
Morant checked into a counseling program in Florida following the incident but left a mere two days after. In the same week, he told ESPN’s Jalen Rose in an interview that he was in a better headspace. However, media members expressed their concerns, insisting that 48 hours in the program did not fix the problem.
Morant returned to the court with his team right before the playoffs. The Grizzlies’ season ended in the first round after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.