In his first appearance in 235 days, Ja Morant made his season debut this Tuesday and it was nothing short of remarkable. The Memphis star dropped 34 points on 12-for-24 shooting, and added 8 assists, 2 steals, one block and mostly importantly, the game-winner.
The 23-year-old had the ball in his hands with only 9.1 seconds left and the score tied against the Pelicans. The point guard took his time, confronted Herb Jones, danced around him and hit the basket to deliver a 115-113 come-back triumph for the Grizzlies.
Ja had been serving a long suspension for what the NBA considered “conduct detrimental to the league,” after brandishing a gun on a social media livestream for a second time in 10 weeks. 25 games into the campaign, and he already gave his team a win.
“I’ve been putting work in, man,” Morant said still on court after winning the match. “I ain’t played a game in eight months. Had a lot of time to learn myself, a lot of hard days where I went through it. But basketball is my life, what I love, therapeutic for me, and I’m just excited to be back.”
Days ago, the Grizzlies star wouldn’t say he regrets being suspended by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for the second time, as he believes it made him a better person.
“In the end, I feel like it made me better,” Ja shared at the start of the week. ”I feel like I learned some stuff about myself that I did during that process. Very eye-opening. It kind of gave me a new look on life. How I go about my days. How I carry myself.”
The 23-year-old also assured he knows he won’t become a better leader for Memphis just talking about it, it’s time to walk the talk. “I can’t, you know, make nobody believe me outside of my actions,” he said. “So me answering this question with just words probably won’t mean nothing to nobody.”
Morant acknowledged that basketball has been his therapy throughout his life and it hasn’t been easy, but he appreciates his family and team for supporting him. “The change will be that my decision-making and how I go about my daily life … being the best Ja I can be,” the player said.
Teammates and other NBA stars congratulate the Memphis star for his incredible comeback
Every Memphis player has felt Morant’s pain these past months and have been extremely patient alongside the young star. Team veteran Derrick Rose recently gave a brutally honest interview about the truths behind the suspended athlete.
“He’s a hardworking motherf—er. I know that,” he said about Ja. “I’m proud of him, very proud of him. Never complains. He’s there early, there after, at shootaround, practices. He’s doing everything the team wants him to do, and I’m just happy that he’s creating his own reality and his own bubble. You can just see it. You haven’t heard anything about him. And that’s a great thing.”
love is love 💙 https://t.co/Jrs9WKtoZJ
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) December 20, 2023
A number of NBA stars poured some love for Morant, including four-time NBA champion LeBron James. “Welcome back!! Go be GREAT again!!” the Lakers forward posted on X.
The league’s all-time leading scorer has always been outspoken about the Memphis guard’s potential, as he praised him back in April when both teams clashed in the playoffs. “That boy is good…when great players get it going, there’s nothing you can do,” LeBron said after Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round.
