Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant spoke with ESPN personality Jalen Rose on Wednesday, March 15, for the first time since the NBA handed him an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league.

Morant appeared to hold a gun on an Instagram Live video from inside a Denver-area nightclub early in the morning on March 4. He later apologized for the video and stepped away from the team to reportedly attend a counseling program in Florida. 

On Thursday, Rose released the full interview via his own YouTube channel.

Herrington: Morant’s coming back. Let’s hope he’s ready.

In addition to the previously released parts of the interview, Morant denied any kind of gang affiliation.

“I feel like, once again, my decisions pretty much led to that,” Morant said. “Now, with the past decisions I made and what is going on now, they try to find pretty much anything on me. I put myself in those situations. No, I am not affiliated with any gang. Like I said before, I do not condone any type of violence. It is on me from now on to be a better Ja and stop that narrative.”

Morant also discussed the challenges for his parents as he has received negative publicity over the last few weeks.

“It has been tough,” Morant said. “I feel like although it has been tough on them it has been even tougher on me because I know they raised me the right way and did everything that I asked of them. They raised me and my little sister the right way. For me to be in the news for the wrong reasons, I knew it hurt them, but it hurt me even more because I know that I let them down.”

Morant is eligible to return to the Grizzlies on March 20, but he will need a ramp-up period before returning to the floor for regular-season games.

The point guard described the uncertainty of the situation over the last week as “the tough part.”

Ja Morant expresses remorse in ESPN interview, return plans in place

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Morant said. “I didn’t know which route it was going to go. My main focus at the end of the day was still focusing on me and being there for me. My health was the most important thing. Obviously, I know I put myself in that situation and I still take responsibility for that. But I also put my team in a tough position with me not being there on the floor because of decisions I made. I regret all of that and I can’t wait to be on the floor now knowing what my punishment is. I accept that and I feel like I deserved my punishment for my mistakes. I know what I did.”

Morant said people can expect a more locked-in Grizzlies team as they pursue the goals for the rest of the season.

“It starts with me being more locked in and paying attention to detail,” Morant said. “You’re going to see a team that is going to come out and play hard for a full 48 minutes. I feel like that has been our identity this whole time. I can't wait to be back and go to battle with them.

“Like I have said before, we know what our ultimate goal is, and that is to win a championship. We have to do that from when the ball goes in the air until the final buzzer sounds.”