What did NBA commissioner Adam Silver say about Ja Morant’s second gun controversy?

Though he’s since apologized - again - for his actions, it’s now clear that Memphis’ prodigious talent has a lot to learn. As the league wrangles with how to proceed, it’s becoming increasingly evident that simply punishing him severely may not be the only solution to the problem.

NBA’s Adam Silver left reeling by Ja Morant’s latest actions

It’s been just a few days, since a now infamous second video of Ja Morant brandishing a gun went viral on social media and NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, has admitted that he was “shocked” by the situation involving the Memphis Grizzlies’ star. Speaking in an interview on Tuesday as part of the league’s Draft Lottery, Silver disclosed that he had in fact spoken “direct about the consequences” with Morant after the first incident back in March. Indeed, fans will recall that Morant was suspended for eight games without pay at the time, however, as the commissioner reflected on the situation, he admitted that he was at a loss as he believed Morant had taken the scenario seriously.

“Frankly most of our conversation was about how incredibly serious the first incident was of waving a firearm on social media. The consequences there — an eight-game suspension was pretty serious. And something that he, at least to me, seemed to take incredibly seriously in that time. ...Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video.” Silver also went on to explain, that he discussed “safety issues” with Morant saying, that someone could have been seriously injured or killed, before referring to the example that he set for “millions if not tens of millions of kids.” Though he stated that the league is investigating the new video, he admitted things don’t look good. “I’m assuming the worst,” he said.

What’s the situation with Ja Morant right now?

By now you’ve probably seen our report on the fact that Morant was first suspended from basketball activities by the Grizzlies. That decision was then followed by the NBA’s announcement on Sunday, that Morant would be “...suspended from all activities pending league review.” For his part, Morant has since issued his own statement in which he acknowledged the disappointment he has caused, as well as the doubt that people will have about his sincerity.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” the statement read. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”