Morant out indefinitely after entering counseling program
It remains unclear when Ja Morant will return to play.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported Monday that the Grizzlies superstar has “entered a counseling program in Florida” and that there is no current timetable as to when he will return to the team.
Morant has missed Memphis’ past four games after a series of off-court incidents.
Last week, the Washington Post published an extensive story about several investigations in which Morant was the subject of.
The story revealed there was a police report filed after a mall security guard accused Morant of threatening him, and an associate of Morant of pushing him.
In a separate altercation, Morant swung multiple times at a Memphis-area high school basketball prospect after an incident in a pickup game at Morant’s home.
The teen accused Morant of entering his home and exiting with a gun visible in his waist band.
Morant claimed self-defense in the incident, as the teen threw a basketball at his face, denied brandishing a weapon and accused the teen of threatening gun violence.
No charges were filed in either the mall or pickup game incident.
Days after the Washington Post story published, Morant went on Instagram Live and posted a video in which he flashed a gun in a strip club.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Morant said in a statement following the strip club video going viral. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.”
The Post exclusively obtained photos of Morant’s two-day, $50,000 trip to the strip club — Shotgun Willie’s in Glendale, Colo. — in which the All-Star covered the room in cash while receiving lap dances, ordering bottle service and food.
“The whole room is full of money — it’s literally a pile. You’d need a rake,” a club insider who witnessed the scene told The Post.
There was also an incident earlier this season in which members of the Pacers claimed Morant’s associates pointed a red laser at them following a confrontation. An NBA investigation could not “corroborate” that guns were involved in the Pacers incident.
Last week, TMZ reported Morant was also investigated by police in another incident in which the Grizzlies guard, several associates, and his parents went to a Tennessee high school to confront a teen with whom his younger sister had a dispute at a high school volleyball game; no charges were filed in the incident.