Memphis Grizzlies’ star player Ja Morant has made a successful return to the court after a 25-game suspension by achieving the Player of the Week title in the Western Conference for Week 9.
“These are my guys. I love them. Obviously, I’m excited to be back. But being able to come back and win four games now and continue to take this momentum to the next game, it’s big time for us,” Morant said.
“Enough of me, it’s just us as a team continuing to stay consistent and continuing to trust each other and just going out there to rack up wins.”
Morant, who faced suspension due to an incident involving a firearm display on social media, made his return on December 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite being greeted with boos upon his return, Morant led the Grizzlies to a 115-113 victory after being down 24 points.
Following the Pelicans’ win, Morant continued to contribute 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds against the Indiana Pacers. He then scored 30 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Memphis, which currently ranks 13th in the Western Conference with a 9-19 record, has won three consecutive games since Morant’s return.
This Player of the Week award was the third one in Morant’s career. His contenders for the Week 9 award were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Edwards.
In the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid claimed the Player of the Week award. Embiid faced competition from Jarrett Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyler Herro, Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young, DeMar DeRozan and Derrick White.
Morant’s suspension
Back in June, Morant was handed a suspension without pay for displaying a firearm in a live-streamed video on a friend’s Instagram. The video of the point guard singing with friends as he held up a handgun began circulating on social media.
This suspension followed a previous eight-game suspension back in March, where Morant was seen holding a firearm in another social media video at a nightclub.
The league commissioner, Adam Silver, criticized Morant’s behavior. He called the 24-year-old “reckless and irresponsible,” expressing concerns about its potential impact on young fans.
Morant publicly apologized to the NBA, the Grizzlies, and the city of Memphis after each suspension. He also took the opportunity to apologize to Silver, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman and owner Robert Pera, who gave him the chance to play in the league.
“And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise,” he said.
The NBA outlined certain conditions for Morant’s return, although the specifics remain unclear. Morant has been engaging in periodic check-ins with the league office regarding his well-being, improvement efforts and therapy.
In a press conference before his return, Morant reflected on his suspension. He mentioned that only being able to watch the match without participating was a challenge on its own.
“... But you know with everything else, being around the team, being able to practice, being able to travel, the guys just constantly talking to me and vice versa, it’s been good,” he told reporters.
Acknowledging his mistakes, Morant said he found learning and teaching opportunities during this period. He said he was grateful for the “opportunity to reflect” and sort his personal issues.