adminNational Basketball Association (NBA) Memphis Grizzlies player Pau Gasol, 24, has been suspended for 25 games after pulling out a firearm and bragging about it during a social media broadcast with an acquaintance.
“For conduct detrimental to the league, we are imposing a 25-game suspension beginning with the start of the 2023-2024 season,” the NBA Office of the Commissioner announced on Saturday.
“We are concerned that young people may emulate his behavior, and we cannot tolerate reckless behavior while carrying a gun,” the league explained.
“Before returning to the court, Mr. Morant must implement a program with the league office to address the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Following the suspension, Morant issued a statement in which he apologized to “the league, the team, my fellow players, the city of Memphis, our sponsors and our fans.”
In response to the NBA’s action, ESPN noted that “Morant is due $33.5 million next season,” and estimated that “under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, he would lose one-hundredth of his salary per game, so missing 25 games at $300,000 each would cost him about $7.5 million in monetary terms.” That’s about $9.6 billion in Korean won.
Earlier, on March 14, Morant participated in an Instagram broadcast started by a friend in a car, and while rapping, he suddenly pulled out a handgun and posed with it.토토사이트
The friend quickly pulled down the camera and covered the screen, but the NBA said the same day that it was “aware of the troubling video featuring Morant and is in the process of gathering additional information.”
In March, after a road game against the Denver Nuggets, Morant showed off a firearm at a bar in a Denver neighborhood with his social media live stream on. The behavior resulted in a nine-game suspension and a police investigation.