Ja Morant issues statement addressing latest suspension
Feb 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after a play during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Ja Morant has issued another apology in the wake of his latest suspension.
The NBA announced on Friday that Morant has been suspended 25 games for conduct detrimental to the league. The disciplinary action stems from a social media video last month that showed Morant waving a gun in a car. Morant was previously suspended eight games in March for an almost identical incident.
After news of Morant’s suspension surfaced, the Memphis Grizzlies star issued a statement apologizing for his actions.
Ja Morant statement: pic.twitter.com/KJCxTVEIRj
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2023
“I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused,” Morant said. “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 I’ve done. To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.
“I’m spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision making. I’m also going to be training so that I’m ready to go when I can be back on the court. I know my teammates are going to hold it down and I’m so sorry I won’t be out there with you at the beginning of the season.
“I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you.”
Morant’s latest apology was a bit more in-depth than the one he issued immediately after the second gun incident, which some felt may have been generated by a chat bot.
The issue for Morant is that he keeps putting himself in compromising situations. He has lost the benefit of the doubt, and rightfully so. His statements and apologies mean very little at this point.
