Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant enters counseling program in Florida amid suspension

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant reportedly entered a counseling program in Florida last week and there is currently no timetable for his return to the court.

According to ESPN On Monday night, Morant, 23, recently started the show after he was suspended by the team for displaying a weapon during a live broadcast on his Instagram while partying at a strip club, following a match against the Denver Nuggets.

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said Friday, “There’s a lot of internal dialogue and obviously there’s still stuff going on at the league level that we’re in communication with.”

“Ja is fully invested in this process and ready for whatever comes next.”

Memphis announced on March 4 that Morant would miss “at least the next two games” and then provided a subsequent update on March 8 saying he would be out “at least the next four games.”

Morant appeared holding a gun in an Instagram Live video early Saturday morning.

Leaked footage of the 23-year-old’s night at the strip club showed him spending $50,000 that night, while having fun in a way that would be expected in such an establishment.

Despite the fact that the images were linked, the owner of the club known as ‘Shotgun Willie’s’ was very complimentary of Morant’s behavior throughout the night, despite the criticism and ridicule he has been subjected to.

“This very young boy was exceptionally respectful, sweet and a non-drinker,” Dunafon said. ‘We had [Denver] Nuggets and Broncos… go in and give the girls rooms, be disrespectful and nasty. It is wonderful.

Morant and his image have come under fire recently due to multiple reports of off-court transgressions that have made him the ultimate villain in the NBA.

Prior to the incident at the strip club, Morant was under fire after details emerged of a lawsuit report that said Morant and an associate beat up a teenager ’12-13 times’ after playing basketball at Morant’s home. .

News that Morant entered a home and emerged with a gun strapped to his waist after the beating led to harsh criticism, despite the 17-year-old allegedly throwing and hitting Morant with a basketball at point-blank range. , which sparked the fight.

The teen also reportedly told Morant that he would “light up his house like fireworks,” causing Morant to fear for his and his family’s safety before leaving his home with a firearm.

Morant is known to be close with his family, and his father and young daughter are often seen on the court during his games. He also recently bought a multi-million dollar home for his parents and his younger sister.

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant spent $50,000 and was photographed getting a lap dance at the strip club known as Shotgun Willie’s.

Morant’s sister, Teniya (right), reportedly got into a verbal argument with another student.

The altercation reportedly occurred at Houston High School in Tennessee on September 22.

The latest news of Morant’s off-court altercations emerged from a police investigation last September into an alleged assault, after Morant, his mother and associates confronted a high school student who called out Morant’s younger sister. ab**** at a high school basketball game. game.

It was also reported that Morant and his associates had a run-in with a security guard at a local mall that left the security guard fearing for his safety after a member of the group mentioned waiting for the guard when he left work.

Additionally, Morant was the subject of an NBA investigation after the Indiana Pacers accused Morant and his traveling party of aiming a laser that was attached to a gun on the team bus after a post-game confrontation.

Upon investigation, no evidence was found for the claims that anyone in the SUV Morant was allegedly riding in had any type of weapon, or that Morant was in fact in the vehicle in question.

In light of Morant’s current villain arc, he recently saw the first of his many endorsement deals backfire when Coca-Cola decided to pull all of its ads featuring the young Grizzlies star despite signing the deal. with him only 10 days before the decision.

Grizzlies coach Jenkins recently revealed that the organization had also previously spoken with Morant about his behavior before the viral incident that led to his being sidelined.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters the organization spoke to Morant about his off-court behavior before he posted video of himself holding a gun at a strip club.

Morant issued a statement apologizing to his family, teammates and fans for his actions.

Veteran center Steven Adams also led a players-only meeting about being more disciplined when it came to leaving late when the team was on the road the night before the strip club incident.

Despite the absence of the face of their franchise, the Grizzles have only dropped one spot from second to third in the NBA Western Conference standings.

Memphis is tied with the Sacramento Kings as both teams have records of 40-26, but the Kings currently have the tiebreaker.

The Grizzlies have worked their way up to become a favorite in the West this season, and if Morant returns to the team in time for the postseason, Memphis will have a chance at a deep playoff run.

Morant was set to headline Powerade’s 2023 campaign, but all his ads were removed