Ja Morad spoke publicly for the first time since being away from Memphis Grizzlies. The All-Star spoke about his absence in an interview with ESPN’s Jalen Rose.
Morad, who has been away from the team since appearing with a gun in an Instagram Live video March 4 in Colorado, told Rose he feels “mental well”something that, according to him, had not happened to him for many years.
He admits that the gun that comes out in the video “it wasn’t mine”Morant did not specify how it came into his possession, but felt sorry for his “error”.
“I’m not like that”said Morand. “I do not condone any kind of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a grave mistake. I can see the picture I painted with my recent mistakes. But in the future, you will show everyone who I am.” really Ha, who am I and change that narrative that everyone has.”
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Shortly after the incident, Morant entered a counseling program in Florida, where he said he worked on techniques to better manage stress, including Reiki and breathing for stress, reflecting on the position he put himself in.
“Honestly, I think we’ve gotten ourselves into this situation with our past mistakes and now the right thing to do is to focus on being smarter and more responsible, holding ourselves accountable for everything.”Morand said of his inner circle.
“I feel like in the past we didn’t know what we were at stake. And now, finally having the time to figure it all out, having this time alone, I realize it now.”
“I realize what I have to lose and, as a team, what we have to lose. It’s about being more responsible, smarter and staying away from all the bad decisions.”.
More | Ja Morant, gun controversy and suspension: What happened, what is his punishment and what will the Memphis star do?
Last week, Rose shared a heartfelt message to Morad on NBA Countdown, reflecting on his own struggles during his career.
“I’m Ja Morant. You’ve had the opportunity to watch me grow for public consumption since 1991”Rose said.
“I’ve been involved in drug sprees. I’ve survived assassination attempts. I was this unruly young man trying to figure out how to be famous, how to be successful and how to change my family dynamic.”.
“The one thing that young guys have to understand, and in Ja Morant’s case, when you get drafted, you go from being a family member, a crew member to being a leader, a family breadwinner.”
How long will Ja Morant be out and what games will he miss?
The NBA handed Ja Morant an eight-game suspension that covers the five games he was no longer with the Grizzlies due to his absence from the team. game this Wednesday, March 15 against the Miami Heat and both of the weekend against the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.
Only on Monday, March 20, Morad could return to the NBAfor his party Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks at Grizzlies Stadium. Similarly, since the player was absent from sports activities during these days, it is possible that he will play again after this match only after a few days of preparation. The Grizzlies will host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, March 22.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
