Ja Morant Enters Counseling Program in Florida, No NBA Return Date Announced

Ja Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida. In an ESPN update on Monday, Morant currently is still without a timetable to return to this NBA season.

In a statement, Morant revealed he is working “to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.” Previously, Morant was said to be out through this Wednesday’s game, but the belief is Morant will miss more time.

Memphis management has frequently stated publicly that Morant will be held accountable for a history of dubious decisions and behavior, and the NBA is currently looking into the situation.

“I’ve said that he’s taking time and responsibility to get better for himself so that he can be better for our team,” Jenkins said. “I’m not going to really comment further until there’s more updates necessary.”

“His spirit has been great so far when I have spoken to him,” Morant’s teammate Tyus Jones told ESPN. “It’s a unique time. There comes times in life when you’ve got to put yourself first before your family, before basketball, before a lot of other stuff, and I don’t know if a lot of guys have ever done that. It’s a time where he’s getting to put himself first, and I think he’s taken advantage of that. I hope he’s taking advantage of that, and it will be good for him.”

Ja Morant is currently away from the Memphis Grizzlies but will also be away from commercial breaks. According to The Drum, Coca-Cola has pulled Morant’s Powerade campaign ads.

Morant is currently in the fallout from flashing a gun in the strip club on Instagram. He won’t be formally charged, but he is currently serving a suspension that runs through at least 15 games. Adding on, Powerade is pushing pause on their largest campaign in history, “From Underestimated to Undeniable,” which featured Morant. The ads have been pulled from YouTube and social media.

The campaign was set to be a major step forward in Coca-Cola’s aim to battle the power of Gatorade, with the combination of Body Armor.

Ken Sadowsky, a veteran beverage analyst, told The Drum, the controversy is “bad timing” for the brand as it heads into the summer season.

“There’s a lot of activity and growth in the isotonics category, but Coke is now facing a challenge for the umpteenth time. It’s difficult because the 600-pound Gatorade gorilla is pretty good at putting down challengers,” Sadowsky said.