Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was suspended at least two games on Saturday after he appeared to hold a gun in a video posted to social media.
As the drama unfolded during the day, clever NBA fans poked fun at the situation and resurfaced a video comparing Morant to the Papa Doc character from the movie “8 Mile.” In the scene, Eminem’s character B-Rabbit reveals personal information about his opponent, showing the monotonous average life he was living while posing as a gun-toting gangster.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant drives as Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope defends, Friday, March 3, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks to the bench during the second half of the Nuggets game on Friday, March 3, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The clip put Eminem’s verse over photos of the Grizzlies guard to try and bring Morant down a peg.
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Morant streamed the video on his Instagram Live and a screenshot of him appearing to hold the gun was quickly circulated around social media outlets. The video was streamed hours after the Grizzlies played the Denver Nuggets early Saturday morning. The Grizzlies were set to take on the Clippers and Lakers in their upcoming games in Los Angeles.
Morant issued an apology.
GRIZZLIES SUPERSTAR JA MORANT APOLOGIZES AFTER APPEARING TO BRANDISH GUN IN VIRAL VIDEO, DELETES SOCIAL MEDIA
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacts to a foul during the Nuggets game at Ball Arena on March 3, 2023, in Denver. (Ron Chenoy-USA Today Sports)
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Morant said. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
The gun incident is the latest in a string of controversies looming over the superstar point guard. Morant actions were investigated after a Jan. 29 incident in Memphis that he said led to a friend, Davonte Pack, of his being banned from home games for a year.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant against the Suns at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Jan. 22, 2023. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
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Morant and Pack also are involved in a civil lawsuit brought after an incident this past summer in which a 17-year-old alleged that they assaulted him at Morant’s home. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said in January that it was “aware of the incident, and after careful review of the facts, decided that there was not enough evidence to proceed with a case.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
