Ja Morant has been suspended for 25 games to start the 2023-2024 NBA season, though there’s belief around the league the Grizzlies star dodged a much a much larger bullet after livestreaming himself with a gun for the second time.
“I think the Grizzlies, those around the NBA, were bracing for the possibility it could have been even more,” ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said Friday on “First Take.”
“…But 25 games is significant certainly to start the season. At least for Memphis now they know they can start their off-season planning with the understanding of how long they will be without Ja Morant.”
When the news broke, fans took to Twitter and had plenty to say about Morant’s suspension, with some believing that the 25 games seemed like a “slap on the wrist.”
“After all that hype on Ja Morant’s punishment, suspension for 25 games seems like a slap on the wrist,” one Twitter user remarked.
Another Twitter user believes that the suspension was “fair.”
“No ‘right’ answer to these things but the Ja Morant suspension (25 games + return to play conditions) feels fair to me,” a Twitter user said. “Sufficient to me to show NBA takes this seriously, without being overly excessive.”
A Twitter user also mentioned that the length of the suspension is “good for Memphis.”
“Not Gonna Lie For Ja Morant’s Suspension I Thought It Was Gonna Be Worse,” another tweeter added. “But It’s Good For Memphis There Season Won’t Be Over.”
The suspension handed down by the league was due to Morant was seen holding what appeared to be a firearm on a social media livestream on May 13.
The league chided the guard for doing so while being aware he was being recorded and live-streamed, despite having promised he would not after being suspended for 8 games on March 4 doing the same thing.
Morant offered up an apology in the wake of his latest suspension, for which he’ll need to satisfy certain criteria to be reinstated by the league.
“I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused,” the two-time All-Star said. “I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you.”
Morant’s suspension will also knock him out of contention for an All-NBA selection due to not meeting the 65-game minimum established in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement – which ultimately disqualifies the guard for a supermax extension.