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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver 'assuming the worst' after Ja Morant's second gun incident

NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks in a press conference during the 2023 All- Star Saturday Night event at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was left under the impression that Ja Morant was remorseful after a meeting in March when the Memphis Grizzlies star was suspended eight games for a previous gun incident.

Silver made his first public comments on Morant since an Instagram Live video surfaced on Sunday that led to Morant being suspended from all team activities, and the commissioner was surprised.

"I was at least left with the sense that he was taking this incredibly seriously," Silver said. "Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend, that video."

In the video from Morant's close friend Davante Pack's Instagram account, Morant is seen brandishing what appears to be a gun. This would be the second time Morant has been seen with a firearm on an Instagram Live video.

After the first incident in March, Morant stepped away from the Grizzlies before being suspended eight games by the NBA due to conduct detrimental to the team. Before being issued his suspension, Morant entered a counseling program and focused on better ways to handle stress.

The star Grizzlies point guard pledged to be a better leader off the floor for the Grizzlies after their Game 6 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. A little more than two weeks later, Morant is back in a similar position as his first incident, and a decision from the NBA is expected in the near future.

Silver's comments didn't offer an optimistic perspective on Morant's status.

"We're in the process of investigating it, and we'll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can," Silver said. "The video is a little grainy and all that, but I'm assuming the worst. We'll figure it out exactly what happened there."

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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Ja Morant's gun incident