Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Silver says Ja Morant’s latest gun suspension is coming after the NBA Finals, and he didn’t sound happy.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the league will issue a punishment to Ja Morant for his latest gun-related incident after the 2023 NBA Finals. Silver spoke to the media ahead of Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, and said the NBA uncovered new information since it began its investigation in mid May.
Silver said the league didn’t want to take attention away from the NBA Finals by announcing the Morant suspension now. But with his stern words ahead of Game 1, he’s only building speculation on how long Morant’s suspension will be. You can bet every sports show in the country will be talking about that on Friday right after they talk about the Nuggets vs. the Heat.
Morant was suspended for eight games in March after he was shown flashing a gun on Instagram Live while in a Denver club. When Morant was again shown holding a gun in his friend’s Instagram Live video in May, the Grizzlies immediately suspended him from team activities and the NBA began an investigation.
Here’s what Silver said about Morant when he addressed the media at the NBA Finals on Thursday:
Adam Silver on Ja Morant: “We’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information. We probably could have brought it to a head now, but we’ve made the decision that it would be unfair to these players and these teams to announce that decision in the middle of this series.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 1, 2023
More Adam Silver on Ja Morant: “I don’t think we yet know what it will take to change his behavior.” He emphasizes the need for Morant, Grizzlies and people around him to “create better circumstances” moving forward.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 1, 2023
Adam Silver on Ja Morant, says that in hindsight, he doesn’t know if a longer suspension would have had a different effect.
“I don’t know what it will take to change his behavior.”
— Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) June 1, 2023
Adam Silver is asked whether in retrospect, he should have delivered a stronger initial suspension to Ja Morant. Silver said, “it seemed appropriate at the time, although maybe by definition – it appears he’s done it again, we’ve all seen the video – you could say maybe not.” https://t.co/GRX4UDddrP
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 1, 2023
NBA commissioner Adam Silver intimates his investigation on Ja Morant has reached its conclusion and an announcement will come at the end of the Finals
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) June 1, 2023
After the first incident, Morant went to a counseling facility in Florida, and met with Silver in New York City to discuss the serious nature of his action and of his suspension. Silver already warned Morant in a face-to-face meeting in March. An eight-game suspension didn’t work. How many games will Morant be suspended for now?
Adam Silver said he wanted to keep attention on the Finals, but it may not have worked. The length of Morant’s suspension will now been a major point of speculation until the punishment is levied. It wouldn’t feel too surprising if the suspension is around 20 games. Others have speculated it could be a 40-game suspension, or maybe even last for the entire season.
The NBA sure seems like it’s going to make an example out of Morant. All the fans can do is wonder just how long the suspension will be until it’s announced.
