Ja Morant’s sponsor Nike released a statement supporting him after the player posted a controversial video waving a gun on his Instagram account this weekend.
You could say it’s been quite the difficult week for the Memphis man, as the incident occurred right after the athlete recieved a civil lawsuit just days ago involving a supposed assault against a teenager. Especifically, Morant is accused of hitting the teen and threatening flashing a gun last summer.
The most immediate punishment for the point guard given bvy the NBA is the 23-year-old to miss at least two games after his video went viral as he appeared to be partying in an unknown strip club.
Watch a short segment of the player’s Instagram Live and judge it yourselves:
Ja Morant allegedly seen showing off a gun in his IG Live this morning. pic.twitter.com/oYtiYwpEl4
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) March 4, 2023
“We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritisation of his well-being,” Nike stated, per The Athletic.
Following the league’s announcement of the two-game ban, the young star took his response to social media with a statement assuring he takes “full responsibility for my actions last night.”
“I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire organization for letting you down,” the player wrote. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
After his latest declaration, Morant decided to deactivated both his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The two-time All-Star has had a relationship with Nike ever since he was drafted by the Grizzlies as the No.2 overall pick in 2019 from Murray State. Just this past December, the point guard became the 23rd athlete to possess a signature shoe created by the famous sport brand called the “Ja 1”.
Before his suspension this weekend, Morant played his last contest against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 27 points, handing out 10 assists, and winning 4 rebounds as Memphis was beaten 113-97.
He has already missed this Sunday’s clash against the Clippers and will now miss at least this Tuesday’s game against the Lakers, again in Los Angeles.
Coach Taylor Jenkins says there is no timetable for his return
After the player must sit out the controversy after his handgun incident, his coach Taylor Jenkins mentioned there is no timetable for the Morant’s official return to the Grizzlies squad.
Right before this Sunday’s contest against the Clippers, his trainer said that the Memphis star has made “difficult decisions and poor choices” that now he must take account for and face the consequences.
“He’s definitely embracing the mistakes that he’s made but only time will tell. We’re going to support him and we’re going to hold him accountable to make those changes,” Jenkins said, without giving out too many details over what are the player’s next steps towards redeeming himself.
“We love him, we want what’s best for him, we support him. It’s going to be a difficult process but we’ve got a great group to get through this,” he added. “It’s an ongoing healing process.”
