After the NBA determined Ja Morant was in an “intoxicated state” during his gun-wielding Instagram Live session at a Colorado strip club, Morant has attempted to clear the air on Tuesday by stating he doesn’t have an alcohol problem.
“I don’t have an alcohol problem, never had an alcohol problem,” he said. “I went [to Florida] for counseling to learn how to manage stress, cope with stress in a positive way instead of ways I’ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.”
Morant said he’d become worried about his stress level before the strip club controversy, but he didn’t want to leave his team to enter a counseling program during the season.
He added that “clubbing and all is not on my mind at all right now” when asked about getting his late-night antics under control.
“Right now for me, it’s just keeping the main thing, the main thing and continuing to go through my process of becoming a better me,” Morant said. “I feel like if I do that, not only will it help me, but it’ll help everybody around me as well.”
The Grizzlies expect their star point guard to return in Wednesday’s home game against the Houston Rockets. He has not played since March 3.
READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Reveals Why He Didn’t Take Dillon Brooks’ Jersey