NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ‘Assuming the Worst’ About Ja Morant Video

It has been several days since the discovery of a now-deleted video showing Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant brandishing a weapon on Instagram Live. The incident brought immediate action from the Grizzlies as they suspended Morant. Now, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has spoken about the unfortunate situation as Morant released a statement regarding the troubling videotaped incident.

According to ESPN, Silver attended the draft lottery in Chicago and discussed the latest situation involving the All-Star player. With the prospect of Morant facing a lengthy suspension and fines, the commissioner expressed disappointment and shock at the latest incident.

“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw, this weekend, that video,” Silver stated in an interview with ESPN.

“We’re in the process of investigating it and we’ll figure out exactly what happened as best as we can. The video’s a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst. We’ll figure out exactly what happened there.”

This is the second time Morant was filmed pulling out a gun and seeing it flashed on social media. The initial punishment for the previous infraction resulted in the player being suspended for eight games earlier this year. At the time, Morant expressed disappointment in his action and promised to do better. The first incident occurred in March; two months later, he repeated the same infraction.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in the written statement. “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.”

Based on a report by NBA.com, the suspension cost Morant about $669,000 when the All-Star point guard was filmed at a Denver strip club waving a gun while shirtless after playing an NBA game against the Denver Nuggets.