The NBA handed down punishment for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant after his latest IG gun incident. The league has suspended Morant for 25 games to begin the season, and he will have conditions he needs to meet before returning to the court. Now, Morant has issued a lengthy statement following the suspension, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

“I've had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I've caused. I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis…I know my teammates are going to hold it down and I'm so sorry I won't be out there with you at the beginning of the season. I hope you give me the chance to prove to you over time I'm a better man than what I've been showing you.”

Morant was suspended during the 2022-2023 NBA campaign for flashing a gun during an incident at a Denver nightclub and was suspended. Then, after the season ended and the Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant once again was caught on IG Live flashing a gun.

This time, Adam Silver gave him a 25-game suspension, although many people thought this was lower than what was expected. Nonetheless, Morant is set to lose nearly $8 million in salary for the 2023-2024 season.

The Grizzlies will now be without their best player for the first chunk of the season, and questions swirl regarding the future of Dillon Brooks. But, the hope is that Ja Morant can put these issues behind him and make a return to the court soon.