Ja Morant Responds to Report Claiming Friends Confronted Pacers Staff, Shined Red Laser at Team

Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has addressed claims of friends of his having “aggressively confronted” Indiana Pacers staff members after the two teams’ game against each other last month.

“[D]id a investigation seen they were cappin,” Morant said on Twitter when sharing footage of Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins on Sunday. “[S]till let a article come out to paint this negative image on me & my fam & banned my brother from home games or a year. [U]nbelievable.”

Per a piece from the Athletic, available in full here, the alleged incident was claimed to have occurred on Jan. 29 while Pacers traveling party members were in the loading area of the FedExForum in Memphis, near the team’s bus. At some point following the game, it was initially alleged that someone in an SUV had shined a laser from the vehicle. Furthermore, Morant had been claimed to have been a passenger in the SUV.

While a Pacers security official was quoted in the piece as having said the laser stemmed from a gun, the piece also included comments from an NBA rep as confirming they “could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon.” Additionally, the spokesperson said their investigation included interviews with alleged witnesses, as well as a look at related surveillance footage.

“Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena,” the rep said as part of the report in question.

The Jan. 29 saw the Grizzlies ultimately emerging victorious against the Pacers.

The alleged confrontation occurred after Morant’s father, Tee, and his friend, Davonte Pack, exchanged words with Pacers players during the game.