Ja Morant Apologizes After Suspension for IG Live Video Appearing to Show Gun

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has apologized and deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts following news that he will be away from the team for "at least" the next two games.

Both the apology and the deactivation of his social media came after Morant released an Instagram Live video that appeared to feature him holding a gun in a nightclub.

The NBA is investigating the video, per NBA spokesman Mike Bass:

The 23-year-old Morant, a two-time All-Star, is averaging 27.1 points, 8.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game this year.

The news regarding the video and time away from the team occurred days after Morant's alleged involvement in separate incidents involving a mall security guard and a 17-year-old playing basketball at his house.

Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post provided details.

Morant's agent, Jim Tanner, offered this response, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"Any and every allegation involving a firearm has been fully investigated and could not be corroborated. This includes the NBA investigation last month, in which they found no evidence."

Regarding that allegation, members of the Indiana Pacers' traveling party said that an acquaintance of Morant pointed a laser at them following a late January game.

Bob Kravitz and Sam Amick of The Athletic provided the details.

"Following a game between the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 29 in Memphis, acquaintances of Grizzlies star Ja Morant aggressively confronted members of the Pacers traveling party near the team's bus in the loading area of FedExForum, and later someone in a slow-moving SUV—which Morant was riding in—trained a red laser on them.

"The two members of the traveling party who spoke to The Athletic said that they did not see who shined the laser from the SUV. They also don't know if the laser was attached to a gun, but they believed it was. A Pacers security guard in the loading area at the time remarked: 'That's 100 percent a gun.'"

Morant will now miss, at minimum, a pair of games in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. Memphis then returns home Thursday to face the Golden State Warriors.