For the second time in two months, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was spotted brandishing a gun on Instagram.
Morant was seen on Instagram Live in the driver’s seat of a car with a gun as he sang along to rapper YoungBoy NBA’s song “1.5.”
After brandishing the firearm, the person recording the video immediately turned the camera away from Morant for the rest of the clip that has surfaced.
In March, Morant was seen at a strip club in Denver with a firearm in an Instagram video that led to an investigation by police and the league. Ultimately, he was suspended by the NBA for eight games.
It’s unclear if this incident will lead to criminal charges or an investigation into Morant’s conduct — or if the NBA will choose to take further action.
Yes Morant (L) appeared on an Instagram Live video on Saturday – where he was seen with a gun
Morant was in the driver’s seat of a car where he held up a gun for the camera
In March, Morant appeared to be holding up a gun in an Instagram Live video at a Denver club
Morant released a statement saying he will take some time off to get help
Morant’s incident in March showed him dancing topless at a strip club before holding a gun to the side of his head.
Hours after the post, it was revealed that the incident was under investigation by the NBA, with The Athletic’s Shams Charania subsequently reporting that Morant had been suspended by the Grizzlies for “at least two games” while the investigation into the incident continues.
Morant then issued a statement taking responsibility for his actions and explaining that he would be taking time off from the game to work on his well-being.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” he said. “I am sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.
“I’m going to set aside some time to get help and work on learning better methods of coping with stress and my overall well-being.”
After Morant took that time away — including a brief stay at a Florida treatment center — he met NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in New York. There he was told that – including time served – he would be suspended for eight games.
It’s been a season filled with legal trouble and controversy over the Murray State product – something he recently recognized as a distraction to the team.
After the Grizzlies were knocked out by the Lakers, Morant said, “I just need to get better at my decision making. That’s it, actually. Issues out of court had a great impact on us as an organization. Just now [need] more discipline.’
Morant has had a number of violent incidents this season, including a fight with a teenager
That alleged incident last summer took place at Morant’s mansion outside of Memphis (pictured)
That fight took place after Morant allegedly threatened a security guard at a Memphis mall
Morant was charged in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teen, Josh Holloway, in the face during a pick-up game, but the NBA star claims he acted in self-defense.
Police interviews obtained by The Washington Post show that the 17-year-old Shelby County Sheriff’s Office detectives told the point guard hit him “12 to 13 times,” adding that Morant’s friend hit him an additional “four to five times.” hit. ‘
Holloway claimed that when Morant got up to leave after the fight, Morant entered his house and reappeared with a gun.
Morant reportedly had the gun visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun.
The 17-year-old accuser claimed he was playing pick-up basketball with Morant when the two got into an argument, which quickly escalated. He admits to throwing a basketball at Morant and “accidentally” hitting the six-foot guard in the face.
Morant and his friend reportedly responded by beating the 17-year-old “with a closed fist, knocking him to the ground” and leaving him with a “big knot” on the side of his head, according to a police report written by deputies who said they saw the boy’s injuries.
Most recently, Morant filed a countersuit against Holloway saying he had lied to police officers and that the youth was the aggressor in the situation.
Morant was also involved in a separate incident at a Memphis mall last summer after the New York Post reported that the chief of security told police that Morant had “threatened” him during an altercation in the parking lot.
Morant is accused of being involved in multiple incidents during and after NBA games
Morant’s mother reportedly got into an argument with an employee of a shoe store at the mall and called her son, who arrived shortly afterwards with a group of “as many as nine people.”
According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when confronted by the mall’s director of security.
Police arrived and a “verbal confrontation” reportedly escalated before someone in Morant’s entourage shoved the security chief at the head.
“As the group left the premises… Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time he gets out,'” the police wrote in the report.
In addition, there was an unsavory incident after the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when acquaintances of Ja Morant “aggressively confronted” members of Indiana’s touring party and pointed a red laser at them.
Morant’s friend Javonte Pack (red hat) was taken off the floor during a game in January
The athletic said that Morant was driving an SUV with friend Davonte Pack and another person when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.
Two people who spoke anonymously to the publication said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana guard nearby claimed “that’s 100 percent a gun.” However, it was not confirmed whether the laser was attached to a weapon.
The league opened an investigation into the allegation, but concluded that it “did not confirm that someone threatened others with a weapon,” an NBA spokesman said.
“We felt we were in great danger,” said one attendee.