Photo: Justin Ford/Getty
Ja Morantis denying that a gun he held up in a Denver nightclub was his, as he addressed his recent suspension from the NBA duringa sit-down interview with Jalen Roseon Wednesday.
The 23-year-old NBA star, who is currently suspended for eight games after brandishing a gun insidea Denver nightclubon an Instagram Live video, told Rose the gun in the video didn’t belong to him and acknowledged his actions' potential harm to the league.
“The gun wasn’t mine,“said Morant. “It’s not who I am, I don’t condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions.”
Ja Morant.Thearon W. Henderson/Getty
The Memphis Grizzlies star said he has been actively participating in different forms of therapy, including working with a talk therapist and doing Reiki treatment. “I’ve been doing anxiety breathing, different stuff to help me manage that and release all that stuff from my body,” Morant said.
“I put myself in a bad position, and also my daughter [Kaari Morant, 3],” he told Rose during the interview. “There’s times where she’ll even tell me if she’s had a bad day. I felt like if she can tell me that, then I can be able to go and talk to somebody as well.”
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Morant started an Instagram Live hours after the Grizzlies' 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday. In the video, he appeared to be partying in a club shirtless and at one point appeared to hold up a handgun with his left hand while smiling.
Morant has been the subject of several allegations of assault over the last few months.
In one incident, Morant was said to have “threatened” the head of security at a Memphis mall after an altercation in the parking lot, which led the security chief to file a police report. In the other incident, a teenage boy reportedly told the police that Morant hadpunched himduring a pickup basketball game at Morant’s residence.
The NBA said Morant will be able to return to the court on Monday for Memphis' game against the Dallas Mavericks.
source: people.com
