by
CNN
—
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday there was no timetable for star guard Ja Morant’s return to the team after he posted a video live to his Instagram on Saturday of himself apparently pointing a gun held the hand.
“There is no definitive timeline,” Jenkins said while speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“We said it would be at least those two games. We take it one day at a time. This will be an ongoing healing process. I cannot comment on the terms of the exact schedule as this is really not a schedule situation.”
On Saturday, the Grizzlies announced that Morant “won’t be on the team for at least the next two games” after posting the video.
In the clip, posted early Saturday morning and shared widely on social media, the 23-year-old briefly flashes what appears to be a gun while reportedly listening to music at a nightclub, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Morant later apologized through his representation for the video, saying he would “take some time to get help and work on learning better ways to manage stress and my overall well-being.”
The Star Point Guard’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were deactivated soon after.
NBA insiders say league is investigating star point guard and video.
Jenkins said Morant understands he’s made some “difficult and bad decisions” in the past.
“That’s why you can see in his statement – it speaks for itself. He understands that he needs help to get to a better place, not just for himself but for his team,” Jenkins said.
“He definitely accepts the mistakes he made but only time will tell. We will support him and hold him accountable for making these changes.”
When asked what the team thinks of the video, Jenkins said they take it “very seriously.”
“There are two elements I want to make very clear,” Jenkins said. “There is a supporting element. Someone who needs to get better and who needs some help. And then there’s the responsibility to the team that we have to stand up for.
“Obviously, across the country – across the league – there’s a lot of attention being paid to gun violence. For us internally on this matter, this is the stance we have taken on this question of how we can support Yes in this growth opportunity. It’s a learning opportunity. Hopefully we can do better with that.”
Jenkins reiterated that the team will continue to support Morant throughout the process.
“We love him. We want the best for him. We support him. It’s going to be a difficult process but we have a great group to get through this,” Jenkins added.
The 23-year-old Morant, who played in his second All-Star game last month, is averaging 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game this season.
After tonight’s game, Memphis plays the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday before returning home to host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
