Insider: Ja Morant's suspension as bad as any in 'history of professional sports' financially
ESPN's Brian Windhorst called Ja Morant's 25-game suspension "as bad of a penalty as we've seen in the history of professional sports," financially speaking, during a Friday appearance on "First Take."
Windhorst said that's taking into account possible lost sponsorships and taking away likely All-NBA honors that would've given him millions more, among other things. Windhorst added that the financial ramifications of the NBA's decision are "crushing."
ESPN's Bobby Marks broke down the numbers inside the suspension.
While there have been other players in recent decades to receive lengthier punishments, contracts for stars like Morant seemingly get larger and larger each season. Therefore, the per-game figures for suspensions are growing too.
In the wake of the announcement, Morant issued a statement on Friday morning, apologizing to "the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis," as well as "(NBA commissioner) Adam Silver, (Grizzlies general manager) Zach Kleiman and (Grizzlies owner) Robert Pera." The former Rookie of the Year addressed the kids who "look up to" him, writing, "I'm sorry for failing you as a role model."
Morant pledged to all of his fans that he'd "make it up" to them and said he'd be spending the offseason and suspension working on his mental health and "decision making."
The NBA Players Association issued a statement on Friday afternoon as well, calling the punishment "excessive and inappropriate."
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