Grizzlies star Ja Morant is out for at least Memphis' next two games after the NBA announced on Saturday that it is investigating a recent social media post in which Morant appeared to flash a gun.
Morant, 23, was seen on his own Instagram Live feed holding a handgun at a nightclub late on Friday night.
An NBA spokesman on Saturday morning said the incident was being investigated, and by Saturday afternoon the Grizzlies announced Morant would be "away from the team for at least the next two games," though the team statement did not specify why.
The apparent gun incident is the latest in a series of unflattering headlines suggesting disturbing off-court behavior for the two-time All-Star.
Last month, the NBA investigated whether Morant or members of his entourage had flashed a red laser, potentially attached to a weapon, at members of the Indiana Pacers organization in the parking lot at FedExForum in Memphis following a game in which an on-court scuffle broke out between Pacers and Grizzlies players in late January.
The league said it found no evidence to corroborate the claim from Pacers employees that a weapon was involved in the incident, though one of Morant's associates was banned from games following the investigation.
Then, last week, a Washington Post report indicated Morant had twice been named in separate police reports in recent months. In one incident, Morant was accused of beating up a teenager during a pickup basketball game at Morant's house, while in another he was accused of threatening a shopping mall security official following a dispute involving Morant's mother at a shoe store.
Morant has blossomed into one of the league's best players since the Grizzlies selected him second overall out of Murray State in 2019. He was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020, and Most Improved Player and All-NBA Second Team in 2022.
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