Grizzlies react to red laser report
Pacers believe laser was attached to a gun
Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins responded Sunday to a report that said acquaintances of Ja Morant confronted members of the Indiana Pacers’ travel party on Jan. 29 and that somebody in a vehicle later trained a red laser on them.
According to The Athletic, the confrontation happened after the teams’ game, near the Pacers’ bus in the loading area of Fedexforum. Later, someone in an SUV – in which Morant was a passenger — pointed a red laser at them. The story quoted two anonymous members of the Pacers’ party, who said they didn’t see if the laser was attached to a gun but believed it was. A Pacers security guard in the area told The Athletic they believed it was “100 percent a gun”.
The confrontation came after the Grizzlies and Pacers got into a shouting match during the third quarter. Morant’s best friend, Davonte Pack, was later removed from the arena after walking on the court and shouting at Pacers players.
“That was addressed internally. We’re aware of the investigation of the NBA,” Jenkins said pregame. “They did a full investigation, we were fully compliant with it and I think they came out with a statement saying nothing was corroborated or found. That’s what I know and that’s all I’m going to comment on.”
Morant was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors (5 p.m., Bally Sports Southeast) due to right wrist soreness after being listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.
According to NBA spokesman Mike Bass, the league probed the matter after the Pacers alerted them but could not find evidence that anyone pointed a gun. In a statement, Bass said the NBA security and league investigators spoke to numerous eyewitnesses and reviewed video surveillance during its investigation.
He also hinted that Pack was possibly among people banned from being at future Grizzlies games at Fedexforum.
“While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon,” Bass said. “Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena. If
additional information becomes available related to the postgame situation, the league office will conduct a further review.”
Per The Athletic, Pack was among four or five men who approached the Pacers’ traveling party after the Grizzlies’ 112-100 win on Jan. 29. Pack and others traded shouts with the Pacers for about 15-20 minutes as security intervened.
When Morant entered the loading area, he, Pack and and their group dispersed into two vehicles. The SUV that Morant and Pack were in moved towards the Pacers bus before slowly turning and then members of the Pacers party reported seeing a red light aimed at players, coaches and others.
On Thursday, following the Grizzlies’ loss to the Cavaliers, he appeared to hint at a situation while addressing what he felt was perceived bias against the team with Dillon Brooks being suspended.
“It’s a little situation going on now, I ain’t gone speak on it yet. If some (expletive) don’t change, y’all gone hear me speak on it,” Morant told reporters.