Toy gun or not, Adam Silver says basketball will take 'back seat' for Ja Morant
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joined the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday morning and presented a different angle to how the league could handle Ja Morant's latest incident.
A lot of conversation has been focused on how many games Morant should be suspended, but Silver seems to believe that there is a better way to address the issues. The commissioner is suggesting a program to help Morant going forward.
The Memphis Grizzlies star was suspended eight games for conduct detrimental to the league after a previous incident in which he brandished a gun on March 4 in a Denver-area nightclub. Silver believed at the time that an eight-game suspension was severe.
"I also think it's important to point out that this is not just about disciplining him and crossing your fingers hoping it's not a third time," Silver said. "I recognize that he needs some assistance from the league office, his union, his team. ... My hope is that wherever we come out in terms of discipline, there is a an acceptance that we need to find ways to engage with each other going forward so that he can change the trajectory that he's now on, which is not a positive one."
"I want to find a way where, frankly, he's not being kicked to the curb, but basketball will take a back seat and first and foremost, we're going to focus on him as a young man developing as a better person as someone who is more responsible," Silver added.
Rumors and reports of Morant appearing to brandish a toy gun in the Instagram Live video began spreading this week. Silver noted that he is aware of what has been said, and after previously indicating that the investigation had been wrapped up, the league is still looking into the situation, even though the perception of the gun appears to matter more than if it was a real one.
"The very issue for Ja certainly in the first incident was treating a gun as a toy," Silver said. "That's what we're talking about, and I think that's what the danger is to society; Taking a gun, livestreaming it. ... I think everyone agrees that gun safety is important. Guns aren't toys."
Silver addressed one of the most discussed points in terms of Morant's potential punishment on Wednesday night ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Many pundits have thrown out the idea that even though Morant didn't commit a crime, the NBA could use his repeated detrimental conduct to set an example for future player punishment on similar incidents.
"My job is to measure that individual's conduct in that moment," Silver said. “I get a little nervous when people talk about sending a message. Sometimes it implies that you may not be fair to that individual player. ... We want to portray a positive image in terms of our players in this league.”
Silver first spoke about Morant ahead of the NBA Draft Lottery two days after a video of the Grizzlies star appearing to brandish a gun surfaced on the morning of May 14. At the time, Silver said he was "assuming the worst" while the NBA reviewed the incident.
The commissioner's most notable comments came before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, when he suggested that a decision won't be made on Morant until after the NBA Finals. At the time, Silver's reasoning was that he and the National Basketball Player's Association decided that it would be the most fair thing to do for the players in the NBA Finals.
While those comments almost made it sound like the NBPA would be involved in the decision, Silver debunked that idea ahead of Game 2.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ja Morant gun: Adam Silver says basketball to take 'back seat'
