Ja Morant, a star player for the Memphis Grizzlies, is disputing some of the recent coverage that has linked him to legal problems.
Morant called “most” of the problems that have been reported a “lie” in an interview with ESPN’s Jalen Rose (interview begins at the 7:25 mark).
Morant said, “I can’t wait to be able to tell the truth finally.” He added that he couldn’t go into detail because “all of them are sealed.”
The Washington Post’s Molly Hensley-Clancy reported on the same legal issue on March 1
Hensley-Clancy wrote that Morant allegedly punched a teenage boy in the head multiple times during a pickup game at Morant’s house last summer, referencing a police report. According to the report filed by the teen, Morant went inside his home and emerged moments later, his handgun visible in the waistband of his pants.
Morant claimed self-defense when the teenager threw a ball at his head and advanced on him, according to police.
The head of security at a mall claimed in a police report that Morant “threatened” him and someone with the Grizzlies guard shoved him in the head four days before the alleged assault.
It was reported last month by Bob Kravitz and Sam Amick of The Athletic that after the January 29 game in FedEx Forum, Morant “aggressively confronted” members of the Indiana Pacers’ traveling party near the team bus in the loading area.
Someone later trained a red laser on Morant’s team, the Pacers, from a slow-moving SUV. Kravitz and Amick were on a road trip when two of their companions reported that they had been blinded by a laser from someone in the group.
The NBA’s investigation did not confirm the belief of the Pacers’ traveling party that the laser was attached to the gun. Though Morant avoided punishment, the league said “certain individuals” had been banned from attending future Grizzlies home games because of the incident.
This interview was Morant’s first public appearance since he was cut from the Grizzlies on March 4 following a video he posted to Instagram Live showing him brandishing a gun inside a nightclub.
Ja Morant lied to Rose about the gun, saying, “It’s not mine.” “I can’t be that way. While I don’t support violent behavior, I am accountable for my own. I messed up badly.”
On Wednesday, the NBA announced that Morant would be suspended for eight games on top of the six games he had already missed. While the 23-year-old can technically return to action on March 20, head coach Taylor Jenkins has already told reporters that he will require a gradual reintroduction to action.
On Monday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported that Ja Morant had checked into a treatment center in Florida.
The Grizzlies’ first game with Morant back on the court will be against the Mavericks of Dallas.
Final Thoughts
Remembering that we should not rush to conclusions or make judgments based solely on media reports is important. As we await more information and NBA updates, it’s important to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions. While there have been allegations of legal problems surrounding Ja Morant, he maintains that “most” of them are false and has expressed a desire to tell his side of the story when he can.
It’s also worth acknowledging that it takes courage to admit to one’s mistakes, and Ja Morant has done so with regard to his recent video showing him brandishing a gun. Hopefully, he can continue to learn and grow from his mistakes, both on and off the court.
