Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has apologised and promised to "get help" after a video was uploaded of the 23-year-old brandishing what appeared to be a handgun in a nightclub.
Morant briefly held up the firearm during an Instagram Live stream on Saturday, mere hours after the Grizzlies fell to a 97-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
The 23-year-old has been suspended for at least the Grizzlies' next two games, meaning that he will miss Monday's clash with the Los Angeles Clippers and Wednesday's trip to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I'm sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organisation for letting you down," Morant said in a statement.
"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."
The NBA have also said that they are investigating the incident involving Morant, who is a two-time All-Star and was named the NBA's Most Improved Player for the 2021-22 season.
Morant has averaged 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game this season for the Grizzlies, who lie second in the Western Conference standings behind the Nuggets.
Ben Knapton
