In a significant turn of events, Ja Morant has seemingly avoided further NBA discipline after a candid on-screen interview with ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth. The Memphis Grizzlies star addressed the controversy surrounding his recent actions, offering a heartfelt apology for his behavior.
During the exclusive interview, Morant openly discussed the incidents that had led to concern, including the now-infamous social media posts that led to a suspension earlier this season. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Morant admitted to making mistakes and expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the negative impact they had on his reputation and the league.
“I take full responsibility for my actions,” Morant said. “I’ve learned a lot over the past few weeks, and I’m committed to being a better person on and off the court.”
The NBA had been considering additional penalties, including a longer suspension or a fine, following the repeated incidents. However, Morant’s transparency and willingness to address his behavior on national television appear to have played a crucial role in avoiding further sanctions.
While Morant still faces challenges in rebuilding trust, this public confession could signal a turning point in his journey to redemption within the league.
Ja Morant and his saga of shoulder injuries
The shoulder trouble has been bothering the Grizzlies’ franchise player for quite some time. It all started with a collision in late December last year. In a game against the Pelicans, Morant took a hard blow while running against Daniel Theis’s hard screen and ultimately missed 5 consecutive games. Following that, he again missed two games in late January after aggravating the injury in a practice session.
Now, a month later, he has missed two games in a row with the same nagging injury. It might seem like Daniel Theis was the real culprit, but he isn’t. It’s something to do with the previous season. The 2023-24 season is a nightmare for the Grizzlies and for Morant, it’s a lesson learned the hard way.
Firstly, Ja missed the first 25 games of the season with a suspension because of the infamous gun episode. Following that, he made a banging return to the floor, instilling hope in the fallen Grizzlies fans. Just 9 games into his return, the team diagnosed him with a torn labrum on his right shoulder, forcing him out for the rest of the season. It was a brutal blow and the team couldn’t recover from it.
However, this season, the team came back with a lot of fire, floating in the top 4 seeds. Will the recent shoulder injuries trouble the Grizzlies again? Hopefully not. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
The only worry is that it shouldn’t be too late. The Grizzlies are on a two-game losing streak and it wouldn’t be too long until the Grizzlies lose the entire plot. Especially, in the last game against the Spurs, the team missed Ja Morant a lot. Even though Jaren Jackson Jr. was perfectly taking care of the clutch business, the team struggled to match up to the Texas side’s offensive flurry. In the end, De’Aaron Fox pulled off one of the insane game-winners of this season. There’s nothing that Morant could’ve done there.