The NBA won’t be shortening Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension. What’s been said?
Any hopes that the Grizzlies and their fans had of seeing their star take to the court sooner rather than later were ended by the NBA’s statement this week.
As he prepares to serve his lengthy suspension, the Grizzlies star is now faced with the harsh reality that he will do so in full. What that means for both him and team going forward remains to be seen, but rest assured it will do their chances of success in the coming campaign, no good.
NBA to maintain Ja Morant’s suspension
According to a statement on Wednesday, from NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars, the 25-game suspension that was handed down to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will not be shortened in any way or at any point.
Morant’s suspension is of course the result of him being caught on film on two separate occasions while brandishing a firearm. The first instance occurred during an Instagram Live video from inside a Denver-area nightclub in March. At the time he was suspended for eight games, however, just two months later in May, Morant was - unbelievably - recorded once again inside a vehicle. It was the second transgression that resulted in a 25-game suspension that he will begin to serve from the start of the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
The NBAPA took issue with Ja Moran’t suspension
When the 25-game suspension was handed down, it was not well-received by the NBPA. Indeed, Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio opposed the ruling in a statement, calling it “excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons, including the facts involved in this particular incident,” continuing that the suspension is “not fair and consistent with past discipline in our league. We will explore with Ja all options and next steps.” To fair, the NBAPA did in fact follow through on its promise to explore options, however, that effort appairs to have been in vain now that the league has made it clear that it won’t budge.
So, what did the NBA say about upholding Ja Morant’s suspension
Though the NBA made it clear that it won’t be amending Morant’s punishment in any way, it is worth noting that its statement spoke directly to the idea of ensuring Morant isn’t completely isolated from his team. You can see Dumars’ statement below:
“Here’s a 24-year-old kid, (and) he’s figuring it out as he goes, as a young man in the league,” Dumars said. “Incredible talent. And early on in his career, a lot has come his way. I personally think the worst thing you can do is completely ostracize this kid from everything with his team. ...The league and the Players Association and Ja and his people are in constant communication with this, and are all working together on this. From a league office standpoint, with the Players Association, with Ja and his people, everybody is collaborating together on this to make sure that this kid makes a smooth transition back to the league - whenever that is. This is not the type of stuff you can (discuss) publicly and start talking about what’s happening behind the scenes, but it is happening.
... So the 25 games are the 25 games. But I think for this 24-year-old kid to continue to grow, he needs to continue to practice every day with his team and be around his team and team meetings. And all of that stuff, I think, really helps a young guy’s growth. He needs to be in that environment. I would hate for him to just have to go to some gym somewhere because we didn’t allow him to practice, just to try to stay in shape, but he’s completely isolated from everyone else. I don’t think that would be, and I don’t think the league thinks, that that would be an optimal option to give to a 24-year-old kid who’s figuring it out as he goes.”
What lies ahead for Ja Morant?
You will recall that it was back in May when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the league’s stance clear. “Prior to [Morant’s] return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Of course, it remains to be seen exactly what the terms and conditions that Morant faces are, as Dumars declined to give any further insight on Wednesday. On the other hand, what is clear is that Morant, his representatives, the NBPA, and the Grizzlies themselves are fully aware of these return-to-play conditions. With that in mind, one can assume that if Morant can successfully meet the criteria in front of him, the suspension will not be extended, meaning he should in theory play against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 19th, when the Grizzlies meet them.