Ja Morant could be facing ‘significant suspension’ from the NBA. What do we know?

With the Grizzlies star having been suspended by his team for committing the same disturbing mistake a second time, he could now be facing further suspension from the league itself and by the looks of things it could be for a long time.

Ja Morant facing lengthy suspension from NBA

By now you’ve probably seen the reports that All-Star guard Ja Morant was suspended from all team activities by the Memphis Grizzlies. The team’s decision followed the circulation of a video on social media, in which Morant can be seen holding what appears to be a gun in a car. To be clear, this is the second time in as many months that Morant faces sanctions for brandishing a firearm in a video that went viral. Yes, the second time. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies star player, reports now suggest that his team suspension isn’t the only one he’s facing. Indeed, it seems the league itself is now set to take action as well.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant could in fact be facing a “significant suspension” from the league. “I think Ja Morant is facing a lengthy, a significant suspension to start next season, if indeed that was a firearm in his hand in that video,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s Get Up. “There’s going to be some pressure even from other teams around the NBA that this isn’t just harmful to the Memphis Grizzlies, but this is harmful on a league level. I don’t think Adam Silver is going to take this one lightly.”

Ja Morant is not doing himself any favors. What do we know?

On Saturday gone, Morant appeared in an Instagram Live post where he can be seen with friends in a car. As the camera pans to him, he briefly be seen holding what appears to be a gun. Following the video’s circulation, the Grizzlies took the decision to suspend him. Yet, it wasn’t long before the league then announced it was launching an investigation into the situation.

This of course - as mentioned above - is the second time Morant is in hot water for a gun related offense. The first was two months ago when video of him in a Colorado nightclub holding a gun surfaced. What’s worse, however, is that this most recent scenario is only the latest in what’s becoming a growing list of disciplinary issues. Indeed, prior to the Colorado incident there was a report in which the details of two incidents that occurred last summer were outlined. As per reports, Morant threatened the head of security at a Memphis mall and was also involved in an altercation in which he allegedly punched a 17-year-old boy during a pickup basketball game at his home.

What has Ja Morant said?

This is where things get confusing. Following his first suspension, Morant spoke openly about the idea that he was taking responsibility for his actions. “Obviously, I’ve made mistakes in the past that cause a lot of negative attention - not only to me, but my family as well, my team, the organization - and I’m completely sorry for that,” Morant said. “So my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don’t cause any of that no more.”

Now, given those kinds of comments one could be forgiven for thinking that would be the last time we see Morant engaged in questionable behavior. Yet, just two months later, here we are. At this point, there is no way that the league won’t be factoring in his track record when making a final decision. What that means for the Grizzlies and their star remains to be seen, but we can rest assured that whatever the punishment that they hand down to Morant is, it’s going to be significant enough that affects the team’s coming campaign.