Memphis Grizzlies General manager Zach Kleiman said he thought Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension by the NBA was “appropriate,” and he wanted the All-Star guard to focus on his future work in order to Restoration of the League
Kleiman was the first team official to speak publicly about the suspension of Morant, who brandished a pistol a second time in a viral video to prompt the penalty.
The suspension for conduct damaging to the league covers the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season and includes conditions for reinstatement. Morant is ineligible to participate in any public league or team activities, including preseason games, during his suspension.
“We’re certainly disappointed by the conduct that occurred during the offseason. I think the discipline in the NBA was appropriate,” Kleiman said Thursday night. “The thing to focus on now is the ongoing discussion between the league, the union and Jia’s representatives: What will Jia admit to the future? What steps is he going to take to make the NBA have the ability to rejoin the team after the suspension.”
Kleiman noted that while there have been positive conversations with Morant, he would like to see more.
“At this point, it doesn’t matter unless he follows through. Don’t care about words,” Kleiman said. “Jia has to prove it. It’s easy to say the right thing.”
Commissioner Adam Silver announced Morant’s most recent suspension on June 16. Morant issued an apology that day and said he was working on improving his “mental health and decision-making skills” to prove that he was “a better person than I’ve shown you.”
The latest video, posted on Instagram Live, shows Morant brandishing a gun while listening to rap music in the passenger seat of a car. The clip was released on May 13, grizzlies The defender was suspended from all team activity the next day
This is the second time in three months that Morant has been spotted carrying a firearm on social media. He was suspended for eight games and sought counseling after he filmed himself holding a gun at a Denver strip club after a loss to the Nuggets on March 4.
Morant, 23, is wrapping up his fourth season at Memphis grizzlies He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2019 draft.A two-time All-Star, Morant will average 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists in 61 games (59 starts) during the 2022-23 season
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