Why NBA has suspended Memphis Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant and how much he will lose

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been suspended for 25 games without pay, the NBA said Friday. This comes after Morant was seen with a gun on social media twice this year. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. 

Morant’s suspension starts immediately and will remain in effect through the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season, the NBA said. It wrote in a statement that on May 13, Morant “intentionally and prominently displayed a gun while in a car with several other individuals as they were leaving a social gathering in Memphis.” The NBA said Morant wielded the firearm even though he knew that he was being recorded and that the recording was being live-streamed on Instagram Live.

The Grizzlies suspended him after that video. This incident came two months after he showed a gun in a live-streamed video at a Denver-area nightclub and was suspended for eight games as a result.

“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time,” Silver said. “Prior to his 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.”

According to NBA, Morant is expected to make around $33.5 million this season but he now stands to lose just over $300,000 per game or approximately $7.5 million during this suspension.

Morant, the 2020 Kia Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his first four seasons, helped the Grizzlies finish with 51 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season. But owing to his suspension, he will not be eligible for any end-of-season awards in 2024, such as MVP and All-NBA, the NBA said.