MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For the first time since publicly stepping away from the Memphis Grizzlies following an Instagram Live incident where he appeared to flash a gun in a Colorado nightclub, Ja Morant spoke about the incident, in an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose.
In the interview, Ja said he feels good mentally, and he's in a space where he feels "very comfortable," which he said he hasn't been in many years.
"I was constantly talking to therapists," Morant told Rose. "I've been doing Reiki treatment. I've been doing anxiety breathing, different stuff to help me manage that and release all that [anxiety] from my body."
Wednesday, the NBA gave an official word on Ja Morant's status with the Memphis Grizzlies - suspending him for eight games, retroactive to March 4, for the incident. He is eligible to return to the team on Monday, March 20, for their game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Morant said the gun in the video wasn't his - a detail which the NBA found inconclusive in their investigation - but the incident was a "terrible mistake"
"It's not who I am," Morant said. "I don't condone any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions."
He also mentioned his daughter as motivation to improve his mental health.
"There's times where she even tells me that she's had a bad day," Morant said. "I felt like, if she can tell me that, I can be able to go and talk to somebody as well."
You can watch an excerpt of the interview with ESPN here:
Ja Morant's full interview with Jalen Rose will air on ESPN Wednesday night after the Golden State Warriors vs. L.A. Clippers during Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt.