Why is the NBPA unhappy with Ja Morant’s suspension of 25 games?
The Grizzlies star has been hit with a multiple-game ban for actions off the court. The NBA waited until after the finals to announce the punishment.
According to reports, the National Basketball Players Association has expressed their disagreement with the league’s decision to suspend Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies star, for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season. The suspension was imposed due to an incident where Morant was seen brandishing a gun on an Instagram Live video.
On Friday, the NBA declared that Morant had been suspended. The league stated that he must fulfill specific requirements before he can resume playing. During his suspension, he will not be allowed to participate in any public league or team events, including preseason games.
Ja Morant released a statement after his 25-game suspension was announced. pic.twitter.com/EHOZRjVqYE
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 16, 2023
Why did the NBA suspend Ja Morant? And why is the NBPA unhappy?
According to reports, Morant was captured on an Instagram Live video on May 13, where he was seen brandishing a firearm while sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with at least two other individuals.
Tamika Tremaglio, the Executive Director of the NBPA, stated, “We believe it’s excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons.”
“As to the discipline imposed, which keeps him off the court until December and requires some unstated conditions to be met before he can return, we believe it is excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons including the facts involved in this particular incident, and that it is not fair and consistent with past discipline in our league. We will explore with Ja all options and next step.” Tremaglio commented.