Before the start of Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Denver, league commissioner Adam Silver addressed the press and talked about many subjects, one of them being Ja Morant‘s situation after he was suspended once again by the Grizzlies after his second video holding a firearm some weeks ago. 

He revealed on Thursday that the NBA’s investigation into the young star’s latest incident with a gun could “come to a head” now, but they are waiting until the Finals are over.

The Memphis point guard got in trouble again after waving a firearm on an Instagram Live once again, only this time it was on his friend Davonte Pack’s social media account, and only two months after he appeared on his own platform partying drunk inside a nightclub in Colorado.

Silver was asked why the league was taking so long to determine his punishment, and he laid out the situation.

“In assessing what discipline is appropriate, if that’s the case, we look at both the history of prior acts,” he explained. “But then we look at individual player’s history as well and the seriousness, of course, of the conduct. So, those are all the things that get factored. It’s not an exact science. It comes down to judgment at the end of the day on the part of me and my colleagues in the league office.”

The commissioner also detailed on the reasons why the timing still wasn’t right to discuss the investigation’s findings, considering it “would be unfair” to those currently concentrated in winning the NBA Title.

“In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information,” Silver expressed. “Since I was still asked about the situation, I would say we probably could’ve brought it to a head now, but we made the decision and I believe the Players Association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams in the middle of this series to announce the results of that investigation.

“It’s better to park that at the moment, at least any public announcement, and my sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals.”

So, the fact that the Memphis franchise already suspended the player during this offseason, is one of the main reasons why the league isn’t rushing to make it public, as they are not currently competing.

Morant already made a public statement over this unfortunate second incident

The first time the league commissioner Adam Silver mentioned the situation was right before the NBA Draft Lottery, saying that he expects the worst to come down on Morant as they began their investigation.

After the first incident happened at the start of March, he had personally met with the 23-year-old and said he genuinely believed him to be ashamed of his actions as he promised to never repeat.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said days after his second mistake. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”

The young star was selected an All-Star for the second-consecutive year during this 2022/23 regular season, after averaging 26.2 points per match with 8.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds over 61 games.

During his 2022/23 campaign assessment, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens says he will trust this team’s process into the upcoming season. This means his objectives are to keep Joe Mazzulla in his position as head coach, bolster the staff, and maintain the roster’s core intact. 

This Wednesday, Thanasis Antetokounmpo invited Wizards forward Deni Avdija on his “Thanalysis” podcast, and mostly used their own examples talk about the reasons why many European talents find it hard to adapt to the NBA’s basketball culture. 

The Bucks’ foward began by asking the Israeli star is they had ever encountered each other outside of the United States, and Avdija remembered one clash back when he played for Maccabi.

“I played with you, you played in Panathinaikos,” Avdija recalled. “I remember that. You also had a crazy dunk versus us. I remember that because I was on the bench, I was not playing.”

To watch the whole conversation, check out the full episode of the Milwaukee player’s podcast:

Naturally, the conversation switched to talk about the contrasts between each continent’s basketball game.

“That’s crazy,” Antetokounmpo said. “I tell people there is so much talent in Europe. For example, here [in the NBA], if you are out of the rotation, they have a plan for you or because it is what it is, like playoffs or whatever. But back home, it’s a hierarchy, you are just not playing because you are young a lot of times. Most of the time.”

To what the Washington player responded: “If you are on the team, you are probably going to play. But I agree with you.”

The 30-year-old Greek athlete then shared a more analytic take on why so many talents from abroad struggle to showcase their abilities once they step on NBA courts. He considers physicality to be one of the main factors.

“That’s a whole package,” he said. “The number one is the body type, the physicality. For example, here in the NBA, you don’t have the same bodies as in Europe. Let’s say you have a guy like [Walter] Tavares from Real Madrid. In Europe, you have one guy like Tavares. In the NBA, you have like six or seven guys like him.”

Another reason is the different playing styles in Europe, as Antetokounmpo assures that he’s only witnessed a limited amount of athletes who are versatile and play many positions at once. He believes the Euroleague still depende on role players, unlike stars in the United States who have a broader skill set.

“In Europe, you have maybe two or three guys who play like point forwards — [Will] Clyburn, Sasha Vezenkov, Chris Singleton. You have specific guys who play the four and can dribble and create. In the U.S., everybody. There are no positions,” he said.

Both players agreed that the mental aspect is crucial to adapt to another sport culture

The podcast host couldn’t stress enough how important the mental aspect of it all is to a player’s adaptation to a new country and style of play. “But it’s hard. The mental part matters so much,” Antetokounmpo expressed.

“It matters the most,” Avdija added. “People don’t understand that. In the NBA, everybody is talented to an extent. Some guys are more talented, some guys are less. Everybody got talent, right? What’s the other layer you have? That’s what separates the good from the average. Extra stuff like mentality, work ethic, and all that stuff.”

The Israeli star admits that professional basketball in the United States is a filter that separates the great from the good.

“Everybody who comes to the NBA is talented, they are good players, everybody can score,” he mentioned. “It is that next step, that small details that we talked about. I think this stuff separates the great from the good and the average. And, of course, consistency.”