Why did Ja Morant get suspended? A complete look back on controversy surrounding Grizzlies star

Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies is finally back after serving an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NBA. Morant came off the bench in the Grizzlies' game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday (Mar. 22).

So, why was Morant suspended in the first place? The Grizzlies initially suspended their star point guard for two games after a controversial Instagram live video went viral. Morant showed off a gun while at a club in Colorado after their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Mar. 3.

The NBA conducted an investigation to see if Morant violated CBA and faced a 50-game suspension. Police also started an investigation into whether the young NBA star violated Colorado gun laws.

As the police investigation found no wrongdoing on Morant's part, he entered a counseling programme in Florida. Morant apologized for his actions and promised to be better at dealing with stress.

The NBA then announced an eight-game suspension for Morant. The league used the police investigation as the basis for his punishment, meaning Morant didn't violate any CBA laws. However, they still found him guilty of conduct detrimental to the NBA.

In an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose, Morant revealed that the gun shown on his Instagram live was not his. He also apologized further for everything that happened and how it affected everyone involved.

"The gun wasn't mine," Morant said. "It's not who I am. I don't condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake, and I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes, but in the future, I'm going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative."

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Ja Morant comes off the bench on return

Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant returned to the Memphis Grizzlies lineup on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. He came off the bench and played 24 minutes in the Grizzlies' 130-125 win, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists.

Morant also wasted no time in posterizing someone. He went up and slammed the ball on Kevin Martin Jr. at the start of the second quarter. If Ja Morant can keep himself out of trouble, the Grizzlies could move deep in the postseason.

The Grizzlies are second in the Western Conference with a 44-27 record. They're 1.5 games ahead of the third-placed Sacramento Kings and four behind the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, with ten games left in the regular season.