Asked by ESPN, Adam Silver spoke for the first time on the new skid of Ja Morant, who brandished a weapon again this weekend in a live on Instagram. The NBA boss has not yet sanctioned the All-Star point guard while the Grizzlies have already suspended him from any activity related to the franchise.
“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this video this weekend,” did he declare. “We are investigating and we will do our best to understand what happened. The video is a little fuzzy, but I anticipate the worst”.
Adam Silver thought Ja Morant had it figured out…
The number 1 of the NBA spoke in particular on the first case which had resulted in an eight-game suspension. After having discussed with Ja Morant, he thought that this last would have understood the lesson…
“Frankly, most of our conversation had been about the extreme seriousness of the first incident, which was brandishing a gun on social media,” he added. “Again, the consequences were something he seemed, at least to me, to take incredibly seriously at the time. We discussed at length not only the consequences this could have on his career, but also the security issues related to it. He could have hurt himself, killed himself or someone else with an act like that. We also talked about him being a star. He has an incredibly large fan base, and I thought he shared with me that concern that millions, if not tens of millions, of children around the world had seen him do something that somehow celebrated the use of a firearm”.
“I take full responsibility for my actions”
Shortly after Adam Silver’s statements, Ja Morant released a brief statement.
“I know I disappointed a lot of people who supported me. It is a long road and I recognize that there is still work to be done. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I am committed to continuing to work on myself”.
| Ja Morant | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2019-20 | SAME | 67 | 31 | 47.7 | 33.5 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 17.8 |
| 2020-21 | SAME | 63 | 33 | 44.9 | 30.3 | 72.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2021-22 | SAME | 57 | 33 | 49.3 | 34.4 | 76.1 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 27.4 |
| 2022-23 | SAME | 61 | 32 | 46.6 | 30.7 | 74.8 | 1.0 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 26.2 |
| Total | 248 | 32 | 47.2 | 32.1 | 75.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 22.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
