Ja Morant has forfeited $668,659 in salary after his suspension from the NBA.
In a sit-down interview with ESPN on Wednesday (March 15), Morant declared that he “doesn’t condone any type of violence” just hours after the NBA briefly suspended him for waving a gun at a strip club in Denver, Colorado.
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The distressed Grizzlies player revealed to NBA analyst and interviewer, Jalen Rose “It’s not who I am. I don’t condone any type of violence, but I’ve taken responsibility for my actions.”
The 23-year-old continued, “I put myself in a bad position.”
While acknowledging that it was imprudent to grab the firearm in front of everyone, Morant insists that the gun he displayed in an Instagram Live video on March 4 did not belong to him.
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“I’m gonna show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about and change this narrative that nobody got painted over me,” he shares.
“I realized I have a lot of kids who looked up to me, even some adults, a lot of fans and I realize my past mistakes is in being a good role model. So, just got to be better in that area, be more responsible, be smarter and make better decisions.”
The NBA guard revealed to Rose that he has been striving to learn from his error and has spent the last 11 days consulting with therapists.
“I feel mentally good,” Morant said. “I was constantly talking to therapists. I’ve been doing Reiki treatment. I’m doing anxiety breathing different stuff to help me manage that and release all that stuff from my body.”
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Since posting a 5:19 a.m. video of himself brandishing a firearm at a strip club on March 4 — Morant has been sidelined from his team. However, his eight-day sentence which includes the five games he has already missed, is allowing him to make a return to the sport on Monday (March 20).
We hope the talented NBA player is able to unite with his team clear headed and ready for what the future holds for him.
Are you rooting for Ja Morant’s return back to the Grizzlies? Let us know by leaving a reaction below or sending us a DM on Instagram @celebsecrets.
