Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will not face criminal charges for allegedly brandishing a gun at a Denver-area club in a social media video over the weekend after a game against the Denver Nuggets. But that doesn’t mean he will be punished by the NBA. Morant has been suspended for at least two games by the Grizzlies but could end up serving a longer suspension if it’s discovered he brought the gun on team premises, including the Grizzlies’ plane, bus and locker room, per CBS Sports.
When it comes to the Colorado incident, the Glendale, Colorado Police Department released a statement that said, it “was not able to determine that probable cause existed for the filing of any charges.” The statement also said that police “did not receive any calls for service ad the nightclub regarding a weapon of any type” and “no disturbances were reported.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
The NBA could fine and/or hit him with a lengthy suspension for violating the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and NBA Players Association. From the CBA: “Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind or any other deadly weapon. For purposes of the foregoing, “a facility or venue” includes, but is not limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or NBA Playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.”
If it’s discovered that Morant had a gun on the team premises the commissioner could fine him up to $1 million and/or serve a suspension. In a statement, Morant said “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.” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said there is no timetableย on when Morant will return to the team.
