Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant has been suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season by the NBA for flashing a gun for the second time on social media.

The NBA concluded its investigation into Morant’s behavior weeks ago, but Commissioner Adam Silver waited until the NBA Finals were complete to announce the suspension to prevent any distraction from the championship series.

In addition to the suspension, Morant, a guard, and NBA All-Star, is not allowed to participate in any team activities, preseason games, and he must meet certain conditions before he can return to the court.

“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” Silver said in a statement on Friday (June 16) afternoon. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning.  Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”

Silver echoed what many of Morant’s critics have been saying about his actions, but did not agree with those who said that he should be removed from the league.

“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time. Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior,” Silver’s statement continued.

In response to the suspension, Morant apologized for his actions in a statement.

"I've had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I've caused," Morant said. "I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates, and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman, and Robert Pera -- who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me -- I'm sorry for the harm I've done. To the kids who look up to me, I'm sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I'm going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I'm going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I'm going to make it up to you, I promise.”

In his contrition, Morant also pledged to do more to bolster himself mentally and to prepare himself to rejoin his teammates after his suspension has expired.

"I'm spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision-making,” he continued. I'm also going to be training so that I'm ready to go when I can be back on the court. 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'll give me the chance to prove to you over time I'm a better man than what I've been showing you."

Morant’s on-the-court brilliance is only matched by the reckless choices that he's off the court.

In May, Memphis Grizzlies announced later in the day their decision to suspend Morant “for at least the next two games” for appearing to flash a gun at a strip club in Denver, CO on his Instagram Live.

Morant would issue a statement the following day saying he was taking “full responsibility for my actions last night.”

"I'm sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis, and the entire organization for letting you down," the statement read. "I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

He eventually served an eight-game suspension and sought counseling services in Florida.

Two months later, Morant was suspended again after he was filmed on Davonte Pack's Instagram Live where he appeared to flash a handgun with rapper NBA YoungBoy playing in the background.

Again, Morant released a statement apologizing for his actions.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” he said. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”

In the aftermath of his latest incident, Powerade, which is owned by Coca-Cola, pulled ads featuring Morant that was scheduled to run during that NCAA March Madness tournament because of the controversy.

Since coming into the league in 2019, Morant has become one of its brightest young stars. Last season, Morant averaged 26.2 points and was named to his second All-Star team.

Morant led Memphis to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs before they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.