Suspended Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant is eligible to rejoin the team next week following his eight game suspension. When he will play is still unclear. But what is clear is the Grizzlies are going to limit the opportunities for him to get into trouble on the road. According to reports the team will not be staying overnight after road games in the NBA’s party cities like Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
No More Parties In LA
That the Grizzlies need to enact these measures and subject the entire team to them tells us a couple things. The importance of superstar players in this league and the lengths they feel they need to go, in order to protect Morant and themselves from further incidents that can derail him and the team.
By now it has been well documented what has transpired with Morant. Dating back to last summer Morant and his friends were involved in four separate incidents in which there was either a threat of violence or actual violence. In three of the four incidents a gun was allegedly present.
It all culminated in Morant appearing on his Instagram Live inside a club in Denver inebriated and waving a gun.
Morant has been away from the team since March 4, the day after the Denver incident.
The NBA conducted an investigation into the Denver incident and suspended Morant for eight games for conduct detrimental to the league. The suspension is retroactive to March 5.
Morant checked into a counseling program in Florida while he was away from the team and met with commissioner Adam Silver to discuss how he will move forward and be more accountable.
“It was good — pretty much an open discussion,” Morant said of his meeting with Silver. “Obviously, he said things I need to be better at, but more of just showing his support towards me. I accepted that, and I also sent my apologies to everybody — to the league, myself, my teammates, my family for putting that negativity towards all of us with a bad decision.”
Morant Has Enjoyed Loyalty And Support From His Teammates
Morant’s teammates have had his back and done nothing but support him throughout.
“He’s about to come back and run the league,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said. “He was running the league. It ain’t like he was in a slump. Everybody makes mistakes growing up in front of the camera. A lot of stars have done that in the past. It happens.”
Morant’s actions will determine how long his teammates continue to back him unequivocally. If he has shown he’s learned from his missteps and is willing to be held accountable, all will be forgiven.
It also remains to be seen how the rest of the team deals with the new road policy of not staying overnight in certain cities. This policy may not matter the rest of the regular season. In the 14 remaining games, the only road cities of concern are Atlanta, Chicago, and New Orleans. Given that they will be gearing up for the playoffs it likely won’t bother anyone.
But if the policy remains in place next season, some resentment could develop. Players look forward to unwinding when they’re on the road during the long season.
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