"It's not an exact science" - Adam Silver on how he and the NBA are looking at the Ja Morant situation
Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is still waiting to find out exactly how long his latest suspension will last.
Morant was suspended indefinitely by the Grizzlies on May 14 for brandishing a firearm on social media. He was previously suspended eight games by the NBA for a similar incident in March.
Morant and the Grizzlies are now awaiting the league’s review and ruling on his latest suspension.
During his press conference ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the situation.
Silver first spoke about how the league office takes players’ histories into account when deciding on punishments. He then said that the league has uncovered additional information that has helped in their decision-making process regarding Morant’s suspension.
“In discussing what discipline is appropriate, if that’s the case, we look at both the history of prior acts, but then we look at the individual player’s history as well, and the seriousness, of course, of the conduct,” Silver said.
“It’s not an exact science. It comes down to judgment at the end of the day on the part of me and my colleagues in the league office. In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information since I was (last) asked about the situation.”
Adam Silver later implied that a verdict regarding Ja Morant’s punishment has already been reached. However, he added that the league has decided to wait until after the conclusion of the NBA Finals to announce the punishment.
“I would say we probably could have brought it to a head now, but we made a decision — and I believe the 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.
“And given that he has now been suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies indefinitely, and so nothing would've changed in the next few weeks, it seemed better to park that at the moment, at least any public announcement.
“My sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the finals, we will announce the outcome of that investigation.”
Adam Silver comments on the Ja Morant investigation and gives a timeline on its conclusion. 👀 https://t.co/ldU0iBPbm0
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Adam Silver on whether Ja Morant’s previous suspension was too light
During his press conference, Adam Silver was also asked if Ja Morant’s previous eight-game suspension for brandishing a gun on social media was too light.
Silver met with Morant at the time to discuss his wrongdoings and said that Morant seemed "heartfelt and serious" during their meeting. However, after seeing the Memphis Grizzlies star repeat his misconduct, Silver said that he may have been wrong.
“Maybe by definition to the extent that we've all seen the video that it appears he's done it again, I guess you could say maybe not,” Silver said.
He added that he was not sure about what it would take to get Morant to improve his behavior. However, Silver said that it will likely take a collective effort from those around the player to create better circumstances for him moving forward.
“Maybe, but I don't think we know yet what it will take to change his behavior,” Silver said.
“It's not just about the discipline. It's about how the players' association, his team and the people around him are going to (need to) create better circumstances going forward.”
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