Nike releases statement in SUPPORT of Ja Morant after he apologized for flashing a gun

Nike is backing Ja Morant and will not cut ties with the athlete after he appeared to flash a gun in an Instagram Live video from a strip club on Friday night.

Morant became the 23rd NBA player in history to launch a signature shoe with Nike last month, but has now been involved in four alleged gun-related incidents.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Memphis Grizzlies star, Nike released a statement sticking by their man.

The message, as reported by The Athletic, read: 'We appreciate Ja's accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being.'

Hours after he was handed a two-game ban for his actions, Morant posted a groveling apology on social media, noting: 'I'm sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire organization for letting you down.

Ja Morant appeared to hold up a gun in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday

Morant played for the Grizzlies on Friday night in Denver, just hours before the Instagram clip

He only launched his signature shoe last month, and Nike are sticking by him despite incident

'I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.'

Morant, 23, has since deactivated his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The two-time NBA All-Star first signed with Nike before he was drafted second overall by Memphis in 2019.

Morant is not the first NBA star to cause Nike problems in recent months - after Kyrie Irving was cut by the sportswear giant in the wake of his anti-Semitism scandal.

Irving faced criticism and backlash after sharing a link to the Amazon page for the 2018 film 'Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America' which contained anti-Semitic tropes.

Nike cut its ties with Irving in November after he initially refused to apologize for his controversial tweet.

In a statement, the company said it was 'deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation'.

The brand also said it would not launch the Kyrie 8s - the shoe designed by the player and company - which were set to be released later in November.

Morant is a huge name in the NBA but has been involved in a series of different controversies

Morant released a statement saying he will be taking some time away to receive help 

Morant, meanwhile, is no stranger to hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months.

He was sued in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager in the face during a pickup game, something the NBA star claims was in self defense.

New details from police interviews obtained by The Washington Post revealed that the 17-year-old told detectives from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office that the point guard hit him '12 to 13 times,' adding that Morant's friend struck him an additional 'four to five times.'

The teenager claimed that as he got up to leave after the fight Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a gun. 

Morant allegedly had the weapon visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun. 

In a baffling incident just days after the report was released, Morant courted yet more controversy - this time at an NBA game - when he performed a gun celebration after watching a teammate shoot a three-pointer. 

The unsavory moment occurred on Wednesday night as the Memphis Grizzlies took on the Houston Rockets, with Morant watching on from the bench as Desmond Bane drained a three-point effort in front of his teammates.  

Kyrie Irving was cut by Nike in the latter stages of 2022 amid his anti-Semitism scandal

Grizzlies' Morant was seen pretending to shoot a gun in celebration during a game this week

Morant was hyped up by the shot, and celebrated by pretending to shoot a gun at Bane as he ran up the floor back on defense.

Morant was also involved in a separate incident at a Memphis mall last summer, after the New York Post reported that the head of security told police that Morant 'threatened' him during an altercation in the parking lot.

Morant's mother reportedly got into a dispute with a employee at a shoe store at the mall and she called her son who arrived shortly after with a group of 'as many as nine people.'

According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when confronted by the director of mall security.

Police arrived and a 'verbal confrontation' reportedly escalated before someone in Morant's entourage allegedly pushed the security chief in the head. 

'As the group was leaving the premises … Ja Morant said, 'Let me find out what time he gets off,'' police wrote in the report.

Furthermore, there was an unsavory incident following the Grizzlies' game with the Pacers on January 29, when acquaintances of Ja Morant 'aggressively confronted' members of Indiana's traveling party - and pointed a red laser at them.

An alleged incident last summer took place at Morant's mansion outside Memphis (pictured)

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has implored Memphis Grizzlies star guard to 'get it together'

The Athletic said that Morant was riding with friend Davonte Pack and one other person in an SUV when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.

Two people who spoke to the publication anonymously said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana security guard nearby claimed 'that's 100 percent a gun.' However, it has not been confirmed it the laser was attached to a weapon. 

The incident led to a league investigation, and seems to have shook up those who were involved. 

'We felt we were in grave danger,' one person present said.

On Saturday evening, Morant issued a statement taking responsibility for his actions and explaining he would be taking time away from the game to work on his well-being. 

'I take full responsibility for my actions last night,' he said. 'I'm sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.

'I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.'