With Grizzlies guard Ja Morant falling apart, the team recently had a players-only meeting geared toward him, according to a new report.
Morant was suspended for two games, and then ruled out indefinitely by coach Taylor Jenkins, after he posted a video to his Instagram Story of him flashing a gun at a strip club.
And there was at least one attempt to turn the tide on Morant recently, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, as Steven Adams reportedly led a players-only meetup encouraging his teammates to show “better discipline in the game.” path”.
According to the report, the veteran center told his teammates that they “should avoid going out on the road,” though it was obvious who his words were largely directed at.
“I was told that those in the room, when Steven Adams spoke, knew exactly who he was addressing this to,” Charania reported. He was none other than Ja Morant.
Ja Morant is out of the Grizzlies indefinitely after a series of gun-related incidents
Steven Adams reportedly led a gamers-only meeting, which was largely directed at Morant.
Morant was seen dancing topless at a strip club on his Instagram just hours after the Grizzlies’ loss in Denver last Friday when he appeared to be holding a gun to his head.
He was banned for two games and apologized, but Jenkins said he has to “get better.”
Speaking before the team’s loss to the Clippers in its first game without the two-time All-Star, he said: “We’ve said it’s going to be at least these two games.”
“I mean, this is going to be an ongoing healing process… It’s really not a calendar situation.”
“We are taking this very seriously,” Jenkins added. ‘There is an element of support for someone who has to get better and needs help. But then there is also the responsibility with the team that we have to defend.
“Obviously, nationally, across the league, there’s been a lot of attention paid to gun violence, and for us, that’s the stance we’ve taken on how we can support Ja during this growth opportunity. It’s a learning opportunity and hopefully we can be better from it.’
While the Grizzlies are second in the Western Conference with a 38-25 record, Morant’s off-court appearances, as well as Brandon Clarke’s season-ending Achilles injury, have threatened to torpedo Memphis season.
Morant has been involved in four alleged gun-related incidents in recent months, and the strip club video is just the latest in a series of controversies.
Grizzlies’ Morant was seen pretending to fire a gun in celebration during a game this week
Morant issued a statement saying that he will take time to receive help.
He was sued in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager in the face during an impromptu game, something the NBA star claims was self-defense.
New details from police interviews obtained by The Washington Post revealed that the 17-year-old told Shelby County Sheriff’s Office detectives that the point guard hit him “12 to 13 times,” adding that the friend of Morant hit him “four to 13 more times.” five times.’
The teen claimed that when he got up to leave after the fight, Morant entered his home and reappeared with a gun.
In a baffling incident just days after the report was released, Morant sparked even more controversy, this time at an NBA game, when he held a guns celebration after watching a teammate shoot a 3-pointer.
The ugly moment occurred last week when the Grizzlies took on the Rockets, with Morant watching from the sidelines as Desmond Bane hit a 3-pointer in front of his teammates.
Morant appeared to be holding a gun in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday.
Morant was excited about the shot and celebrated by pretending to fire a gun at Bane as he ran down the court to defend himself.
In addition, there was an ugly incident after the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when Ja Morant’s acquaintances ‘aggressively confronted’ members of the Indiana traveling party and pointed a red laser at them.
The Athletic said Morant was traveling with his friend Davonte Pack and another person in an SUV when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.
Two people who spoke to the publication anonymously said they believed the laser was attached to a weapon, while a nearby Indiana security guard said “that’s 100 percent a weapon.” However, it has not been confirmed if the laser was attached to a weapon.