Las Vegas, USA
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said that he'll meet Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant ahead of his expected return to the league. Morant is currently serving a 25-game ban which is due to end on December 18 when the Grizzlies face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The league had outlined several guidelines and checkpoints for Morant to comply with in order for him to return after his suspension in June earlier this year. Silver, ahead of the maiden in-season tournament final in Las Vegas, USA on Saturday (Dec. 9), said that he's been monitoring situation closely.
"Yes, I have been monitoring the situation closely, and him. In fact, we intend to have a check-in this week directly, Ja and I," Silver said during his news conference.
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"But folks in the league office, together with Ja and his team and the Players Association, have been in regular contact, essentially weekly. There have been those checkpoints.
"We've, together, laid out a program for him over the last several weeks, and to the best of my knowledge, he's complied with everything he's been asked to do. As I said, we'll talk at least once this week before he comes back, and we will review the program and make sure the conditions are in place for him to be successful going forward," he added.
Morant was suspended for 25 games after second video of him brandishing a firearm went viral on social media. He was banned for eight games in March earlier after going live on Instagram outside a Denver, Colorado club while holding a gun. The second incident was deemed detrimental to the league and hence came the suspension.
The Grizzlies, sans Morant, are tied for 13th place in the Western Conference with a 6-15 (win-loss) record. Memphis also performed poorly in the inaugural in-season tournament and bowed out with a 0-4 record.
If all goes well, Morant could play his first game of the season on December 19 against Zion Williamson starrer New Orleans Pelicans.