December 20, 2023
LeBron James Welcomes Memphis Grizzlies Guard Ja Morant Back To NBA
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant made his return Tuesday after serving a 25-game suspension and was welcomed back by LeBron James.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant returned to the NBA Tuesday night after serving a 25-game suspension and was welcomed back by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
Morant made his season debut against the New Orleans Pelicans after serving his suspension for conduct detrimental to the league. James welcomed the guard back to the league with a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Grizzlies have struggled without their star, starting the season with a 6-19, including a 1-11 home record, but it didn’t take Morant long to get back into the swings of things, scoring 34 points, grabbing six rebounds with eight assists, and fighting cramps before hitting the game-winning shot to give the Grizzlies a 115-113 win.
After the game, Morant talked about how he stayed focused during his suspension and how it allowed him to have such a strong game on his return.
“I been putting work in, I haven’t played a game in eight months,” Morant said after the win. “I 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, it’s therapeutic for me, and I’m excited to be back.”
Morant, who was named the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year, has enjoyed an amazing start to his career. The two-time All-Star won the 2021-22 Most Improved Player award and was named to the All-NBA second team.
However, the All-Star guard was suspended in June after he was seen on Instagram Live flashing a gun. It was the second time he was caught on social media with a firearm in his hand.
The 23-year-old was first suspended for eight games in March after he was shown with a gun on an Instagram Live video at a Denver nightclub.
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