Why was Ja Morant's friend banned? Laser incident explained
Ja Morant is one of the best young players in the NBA. He is very talented and has turned the Memphis Grizzlies into contenders. However, as amazing as he is on the court, the Grizzlies guard is quite controversial off the floor.
Morant had a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 29, helping the Grizzlies get away with a 12-point victory.
The 6-foot-3 guard had a fantastic performance against Indiana, but was involved in a post-game controversy. The controversy, which included a laser, resulted in Morant's friend getting a ban from FedExForum, the Grizzlies' home arena.
Why Ja Morant's friend was banned from home games
As fantastic as Morant has been so far in his NBA career, he hasn't exactly been a role model. The Memphis Grizzlies guard has been involved in a number of controversies, but the latest one takes the case.
After a victory over Indiana, the Pacers claimed that a laser was pointed at them from a vehicle that was carrying Ja Morant. Additionally, the Pacers believed that the laser was attached to a gun.
The NBA investigated the incident and concluded that a weapon wasn't involved in it. However, it is still very unusual for Ja Morant, one of the league's brightest stars, to be involved in such an incident.
You may be interested in reading: NBA issues FedExForum bans after investigating postgame incident: All you need to know
While the former Rookie of the Year has received no sanctions from the league, his friend was banned from attending NBA games at FedEx Forum for a year. This is not surprising considering that pointing a laser at the opposing team is simply not acceptable.
NBA released a statement regarding the incident
The NBA released a statement regarding the post-game incident between the Memphis Grizzlies superstar and the Indiana Pacers. The league clarified that no weapons were involved, but also decided to ban Morant's friend from home games.
"While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon," the NBA statement read.
"Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena."
Light scuffle between Ja Morant and Chris Duarte https://t.co/miPCMFOwMg
Tee Morant, Ja's father, and Davone Pack, a close friend of his, were involved in a light scuffle between the Grizzlies star and Chris Duarte. While they didn't step on the floor, the two spectators seemed to be verbally involved in a confrontation.
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There is a chance that Ja Morant's behavior will change after this incident. He is incredibly talented and very fun to watch, which is why basketball fans wouldn't want to see him turn into Gilbert Arenas.