Ja Morant has made ‘tough choices and poor selections,’ no timetable to return, coach says

There is not any timetable for Ja Morant to return to the Memphis Grizzlies as he sits out following the controversy over the weekend by which he appeared to brandish a gun whereas at a nightclub in a livestream on social media, coach Taylor Jenkins stated Sunday.

Morant was not with the workforce in Los Angeles for the Grizzlies’ recreation Sunday in opposition to the Clippers. The workforce will play the Lakers on Tuesday.

Jenkins stated earlier than the workforce’s recreation in opposition to the Clippers that Morant has made “tough choices and poor selections” that he must be accountable for.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins listens to a query about about Ja Morant throughout a information convention previous to an NBA basketball recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“He’s positively embracing the errors that he’s made however solely time will inform. We’re going to help him and we’re going to carry him accountable to make these modifications,” Jenkins stated, declining to put out the precise steps Morant wanted to perform to return to the Grizzlies.

“We love him, we would like what’s finest for him, we help him. It’s going to be a tough course of however we’ve received a fantastic group to get by way of this.”

Jenkins added that it was “an ongoing therapeutic course of.”

Morant streamed the video on his Instagram Live and a screenshot of him showing to carry the gun was shortly circulated round social media shops.

Mar 3, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) adjusts his face guard throughout the first quarter in opposition to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

NBA GREAT PAUL PIERCE COMES TO JA MORANT’S DEFENSE OVER GUN CONTROVERSY: ‘Y’ALL DON’T KNOW WHAT HE GOING THRU’

He later issued an apology after he obtained a two-game suspension.

“I take full duty for my actions final evening,” Morant stated. “I’m sorry to my household, teammates, coaches, followers, companions, the town of Memphis and your complete Grizzlies group for letting you down. I’m going to take a while away to get assist and work on studying higher strategies of coping with stress and my total well-being.”

The gun incident is the newest in a string of controversies looming over the famous person level guard. Morant actions had been investigated after a Jan. 29 incident in Memphis that he stated led to a good friend, Davonte Pack, of his being banned from residence video games for a yr.

Mar 3, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) seems on within the second quarter in opposition to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Morant and Pack are also concerned in a civil lawsuit introduced after an incident this previous summer time by which a 17-year-old alleged that they assaulted him at Morant’s residence. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office stated in January that it was “conscious of the incident, and after cautious evaluate of the info, determined that there was not sufficient proof to proceed with a case.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.