Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant shared a since-deleted cryptic post after being shown holding a firearm in a social media video for the second time in less than two months.
Morant shared four photos on his Instagram story showing his mother, father and daughter, writing, "love ya" before concluding the story with "bye" over a photo of his back turned to the camera on Wednesday (May 24). The messages were deleted shortly after being posted, but screenshotted by numerous fans, with all four included in a tweet shared by the NBA Buzz Twitter account.
"Ja Morant’s Instagram story: 'Love ya ma ' 'Love ya pops ' 'You da greatest baby girl love ya' 'Bye.' Stay strong, Ja," the tweet states.
Morant was seen holding a firearm in an Instagram Live video shared by the account @_dtap2 last Saturday (May 13), less than two months after having been suspended eight games for an Instagram Live video in which he appeared to be holding a firearm in a Denver nightclub during the 2022-23 regular season.
"I know I've disappointed a lot of people who have supported me," Morant said via ESPN. "This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I'm committed to continuing to work on myself."
Morant's comments came shortly after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the situation with ESPN's Malika Andrews from the NBA's draft lottery in Chicago Tuesday night.
"Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video," Silver said. "Now, we're in the process of investigating it, and we'll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I'm assuming the worst."
Morant had previously enrolled in a Florida counseling facility during his suspension in order to learn how to better manage stress before meeting with Silver 11 days after the incident. The commissioner elected to suspend Morant for eight games without pay due to conduct detrimental to the league, which included six previous games that Morant had already missed and referred to the point guard's conduct as "irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous."
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