The Ja Morant situation may be going from bad to worse.
Ramona Shelburne and Liz Merrill of ESPN reported on Monday that police in Colorado are investigating the incident in which the Memphis Grizzlies star Morant flashed a gun on an Instagram Live broadcast over the weekend. Police confirmed that the incident occurred at a bar in Glendale, Colo. (an enclave of Denver). Morant and the Grizzlies played the Nuggets in Denver on Friday night, and Morant broadcast the video later that same evening (see the video here).
The ESPN report notes that Colorado is an open-carry state but that there are prominent exceptions (including a prohibition against carrying a firearm on federal property). It is also illegal in the state for one to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, the report adds. On top of that, Denver itself has its own laws against open carry (despite open carry being allowed under state law). You can read more about Denver’s gun laws here.
The 23-year-old Morant, an NBA All-Star this season, was suspended by the Grizzlies for at least two games because of the incident (though his absence might extend well beyond that). There were already some signs that Morant could be facing punishment under the NBA collective bargaining agreement for the stunt. Now it seems that he may be facing legal ramifications as well.
