Adam Silver Gives Timeline For Ja Morant Investigation

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave more details this week about when the investigation into Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will conclude.

The investigation began last month after a livestream video on social media appeared to show Morant briefly displaying a handgun from the passenger seat of a vehicle while singing along to a song.

As a result of the footage, the Grizzlies suspended him from team activities during the offseason.

During a press conference on Thursday, the NBA commissioner said that the league plans to announce the probe’s outcome after this year’s NBA Finals, which features the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.

“My sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals, we will announce the outcome of that investigation,” Silver told reporters.

“In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information,” Silver said of the investigation, according to a video clip via ESPN. He later added, “We probably could’ve brought it to a head now.”

“But we made the decision, and I believe the [National Basketball] Players Association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams in the middle of the series to announce the results of that investigation.”

Silver said the league weighed the fact that the Grizzlies indefinitely suspended Morant in the offseason and argued that waiting to announce the outcome of the investigation wouldn’t have much of an impact on the star point guard.

Morant’s livestream appearance last month was the second time this year he faced consequences for showing off his gun on social media.

The NBA had already suspended Morant for eight games a few months prior after he livestreamed himself holding a firearm at a nightclub in Glendale, Colorado, on March 4. The Glendale Police Department also conducted an investigation into the incident. He was not charged with a crime.

The Grizzlies player issued a public apology after the March 4 incident, taking full responsibility for his actions. Silver called Morant’s conduct “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous” in a statement at the time.

Morant publicly apologized again shortly after the more recent incident in May, saying he knows he’s “disappointed a lot of people,” The Associated Press reported.

“This is a journey, and I recognize there is more work to do,” he said. “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.”