Ja Morant takes 'full responsibility' for 'terrible mistake' that led to suspension
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant opened up about the "terrible mistake" he made and took "full responsibility" for his actions in an exclusive interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose.
Morant has been away from the Grizzlies after he was seen brandishing a gun at a Denver-area club in an Instagram Live video hours after Memphis' loss to the Nuggets on March 3. He was not charged in the incident, but the NBA still suspended the 23-year-old All-Star eight games Wednesday for his "irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous," conduct.
"I put myself in a bad position," Morant acknowledged in an interview clip ESPN released.
He said the gun was not his. "It's not who I am. I don't condone any type of violence but I take full responsibility for my actions. Made a bad mistake," Morant said.
"I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes, but in the future I'm going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative."
Morant, who said in the immediate aftermath of the incident he was "going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being," said he's in currently in a good place.
"I feel mentally good (in a way) that I haven't been in many years," Morant said. "I'm in a space where I'm very comfortable. I was constantly talking to therapists. I've been doing Reiki treatment, I'm doing anxiety breathing. Different stuff to help me manage that and release all that stuff from my body." He had reportedly entered a counseling program in Florida.
The full interview was set to air late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning on "SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt."