What did Ja Morant get in trouble for? Suspension, legal issues and more explored

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks. As the team continues to fall in the Western Conference standings, many are wondering why the All-Star guard was suspended by the team in the first place.

Morant was reprimanded after livestreaming a video on social media in which he appeared to be brandishing a firearm at a club in Glendale, Colorado. At the time, there were questions about potential criminal charges, although Glendale police later confirmed that there wasn't enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime.

The Grizzlies announced following the incident that Morant would be away from the team for at least two games, later increasing his suspension to at least six games.

While there won't be any criminal charges against Morant, he isn't out of the woods yet. The 23-year-old could face a 50-game suspension if he is found to have brought the gun on the Grizzlies' team plane.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins recently said that the team is taking the situation very seriously, as is Morant. From the sound of things, he will have to take steps in his personal life before the team is ready to welcome him back. As quoted by ESPN, Jenkins said:

"There's definitely steps that are going to need to be met personally and professionally as he deals with some stuff personally to get better. Then obviously the expectations on the team, he's going to have some things that he's going to have to clear to know what the expectations are when he does return."

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Ja Morant's previous controversies leading up to suspension

Ja Morant's questionable off-court activities started before the recent suspension. During the off-season, Morant allegedly punched a teenager during a pickup basketball game at his house. Immediately after the punch, Morant allegedly went inside and retrieved a gun that was visible in his waistband.

Although the incident didn't make headlines at the time, it surfaced earlier this month, around the same time as another troubling report. According to multiple outlets, four days before Ja Morant allegedly struck the teen, he threatened a mall security guard after engaging in a verbal altercation with his mother.

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Then came the infamous Grizzlies-Pacers situation, where Morant and his associates were accused of having traced a red dot sight at the traveling party from Indiana. The incident saw Morant's close friend, Devonte Pack, banned from home games for the next year.

As many have pointed out, Pack seems to have been present in many of Morant's recent controversies. While NBA veterans Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes have admitted that nobody can control who Morant spends his time with, many have implored him to reflect on his company.

As one of the faces of the new generation of NBA players, and with a bright future ahead of him in the NBA, how things play out for Ja Morant seems entirely up to him.