The NBA has issued a final verdict on Ja Morant’s act of holding a gun on livestream. Accordingly, the Memphis Grizzlies player will be suspended for 25 games, starting from the 2023/2024 season.

During the duration of his suspension, Ja Morant will also be banned from participating in all activities related to training and pre-season preparation of the Memphis Grizzlies, including early season friendly matches. This player is said to have to meet a number of conditions before he can return to play.

This is Ja Morant’s second punishment in just 3 months. Previously, Ja Morant was banned from playing 8 matches, also for holding a gun on livestream while partying at a nightclub with friends. NBA President Adam Silver said he was shocked by the actions Ja Morant committed.

Ja Morant also apologized, accepted all penalties and took all relevant responsibilities in this incident.

Ja Morant spoke up and apologized to everyone for the actions he caused. The full text of the apology quoted by Adrian Wojnarowski, a reputable reporter for ESPN, is as follows.

“I have had time to look back and realize the wrongdoings I have committed. I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates, and the city of Memphis for this mistake.

To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera, who gave me the opportunity to become a professional footballer and always supported me, I want to apologize for what I did and ruined so many things. To the children, I want to apologize for not being able to be the role model they wanted.

I promise I will get better. To the sponsors, I promise to become worthy of being a representative face for everyone. To my fans, I will never do it again.

I will use the time between the season and the suspension to heal my psychological issues and my ability to express my emotions. I will do my best to return to the field as soon as possible. I know my teammates always expect of me, and I apologize for not being able to be with everyone at the beginning of the new season.

I hope everyone will give me a chance to do it again, to prove that I can become better,” Ja Morant declared.

Besides, the Memphis Grizzlies team said they will fully respect all decisions of the NBA during the investigation process and will accept this penalty.

Some sources said that in addition to being suspended for 25 matches, Ja Morant will also have to go through many strict conditions to be able to return to practice and play. The details of these conditions are not public, but the NBA hopes these therapies will help Ja Morant avoid similar mistakes in the future.