Ja Morant’s looming punishment will be severe, but will it deter from another incident?

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DENVER — Even the Lakers and Celtics would have a hard time being overshadowed by what’s coming to Ja Morant.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tried his best to lawyer his way through the wording, but it was clear the verdict on Morant will be harsh and perhaps groundbreaking, even. Silver knew it would dominate the news cycle for more than a day and that these NBA Finals — or any other for that matter, didn’t deserve to be upstaged by such a black mark.

Morant appeared to have another gun on an Instagram Live video weeks ago, leading to his suspension from the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s hard to say what Morant is actually being suspended from participating in at this time, but we do know what he’s suspended for: playing in your employer’s face.

The rap sheet is long and scarily, it doesn’t appear he’s hit rock bottom yet. After all, before this latest incident his Nike commercial was displayed all over the playoffs and only until recently did Nike begin to limit the release of his first signature shoe.

Perhaps it was fitting Silver was only a few miles away from the scene of Morant’s first public transgression in March at the strip club Shotgun Willie’s where he flashed a gun — again, on Instagram Live.

“So in assessing what discipline is appropriate, if that’s the case, we look at both the history of prior acts, but then we look at the individual player’s history, as well,” Silver said Thursday. “And the seriousness, of course, of the conduct. Those are all things that get factored.

“It’s not an exact science. It comes down to judgment at the end of the day on the part of me and my colleagues in the league office.”

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant could be facing unprecedented punishment by the NBA. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

How the science is determined is by a full-length investigation. Best believe the NBA used every resource they could find — team security, who often have FBI or military backgrounds, as well as local law enforcement to determine Morant’s activities.

“In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information, I think, since I was first…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2023-06-02 22:14:43

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