Home Basketball Ja Morant’s suspension won’t be shortened, absence not expected to extend past 25 games, NBA officials say

Ja Morant’s suspension won’t be shortened, absence not expected to extend past 25 games, NBA officials say

Basketball — 10/22/2023

NBA officials stated that star Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies will not have his suspension cut at any time. However, it is anticipated that his mandatory absence will not exceed 25 games, meaning he will most likely play again on December 19 against New Orleans.

Midway through June, Morant received a 25-game suspension for holding a gun during an Instagram livestream that he had posted in May. A league official who requested anonymity while giving background information stated that the suspension isn’t anticipated to last much longer, barring any kind of off-court setback.

MEMPHIS, TN - OCTOBER 3: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball during a team practice on October 3, 2023 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The National Basketball Players Association voiced their displeasure with the ruling’s ambiguity at the time of the punishment. In particular, NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio emphasized the league’s determination that Morant would need to “meet certain conditions before he returns to play.”

The NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, was asked if Morant’s return-to-play protocol had been clarified since then and what the 24-year-old was doing to meet the league’s requirements. He declined to go into specifics but said that everything was going well so far.

“There is constant communication and collaboration on this matter between the league, the Players Association, and Ja and his team,” Dumars stated. “Everyone is working together on this from the league office, the Players Association, Ja, and his staff to make sure that this youngster makes a smooth transition back to the league— whenever that is. It’s not appropriate to talk about this kind of thing in public and start discussing what goes on behind closed doors, yet it does.

Despite being “ineligible to participate in any public league or team activities, including preseason games, during the course of his suspension,” according to the league’s decision, Morant has been training and touring with the Grizzlies. As Dumars said, he thinks it’s critical that Morant be allowed to interact with his squad throughout his ban.

“As a young man in the league, this 24-year-old kid is learning as he goes,” Dumars remarked. Outstanding talent. And he’s had a lot of success in the early going in his career. The worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is to entirely cut this kid off from his team.

The 25 games are, thus, the 25 games. However, I believe that in order for this 24-year-old child to develop further, he must keep practicing with his team on a daily basis and be present at team practices and meetings. And I believe that all of it is very beneficial to a young man’s development. That is the setting he needs to be in. We wouldn’t let him practice, so I would hate for him to have to go to some gym somewhere in order to attempt to keep in shape—but he’s isolated from everyone else. I don’t believe that would be the best course of action for a 24-year-old youngster who is still learning the ropes, and I don’t think the league believes that either.