After an Instagram Live stream late on Friday night appeared to show Grizzlies guard Ja Morant flashing a gun while at a strip club, the NBA has announced that it’s looking into the incident, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The video in question can be viewed on Twitter courtesy of media personality DJ Akademiks.
“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,” league spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement.
While he continues to perform at an All-Star level for the 38-24 Grizzlies on the court this season, Morant has been at the center of a number of off-court allegations.
Morant got into an altercation with a then-17-year-old during a pickup game at his house last July and allegedly punched the teen several times, claiming later that it was in self-defense. Morant also allegedly threatened a security guard at a Memphis mall and was reportedly involved in a confrontation with members of the Pacers’ traveling party after a January game, resulting in some of his associates being banned from the Grizzlies’ home arena.
Morant hasn’t faced any criminal charges as a result of those allegations, but the growing list of stories about his actions off the court is worrisome, given that the 23-year-old is one of the NBA’s most promising and exciting young stars.
The timing of Friday’s social media stream also reflects a lack of judgment from Morant, given that the Washington Post published a new report about those off-court incidents just a few days ago, prompting the 23-year-old’s lawyer and agent to strongly defend him in statements on Twitter.
