MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After all, Morant is in no mood to prove anyone wrong or to forget everything he’s been through for the past two years.
The Memphis Grizzlies point guard is just happy to be back on the basketball court again.
“Right now, I’m happy, and that’s my main focus,” Morant said Monday. “I feel like a happy Ja is a scary Ja for a lot of people. As long as I stay happy and healthy, it’s going to be a great season.”
Morant’s descent to near insignificance was much faster than his rise from number 2 overall draft pick to a fresh young face of both the Grizzlies and the NBA. Now Morant is healthy after a suspension and a shoulder injury limited him to nine games last season.
He said at the Grizzlies’ media day that he’s learned a lot through everything he’s been through on and off the court. Simply being the high-flying, fearless point guard on the court again could be the redemption tour needed by Morant, the Grizzlies and, yes, the NBA.
“I want to remember the feeling I felt every time, no matter what the situation was,” Morant said. “I feel like it’s helped me a lot, helped me grow into a better Ja. Right now, you know I’m probably the happiest I feel like I’ve been in a while.”
Morant soared on the court to 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year. The 2022 Most Improved Player helped Memphis earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in back-to-back seasons.
He is a two-time All-Star who earned a spot on the 2021-22 All-NBA team. That’s why the Grizzlies gave Morant a five-year, supermax contract in 2022 worth possibly as much as $231 million.
Then issues off the court began to overshadow Morant’s high-flying dunks and seeing-eye assists. He was suspended for eight games in March 2023 for displaying a gun on social media from a strip club. A second incident in May 2023 cost him the first 25 games of last season.
Morant returned last December, saying that only his performance could prove his growth.
He played all nine games, averaging 25.1 points and helping Memphis go 6–3. Then the Grizzlies announced on January 8 that Morant would miss the rest of the season needing surgery to repair a tear in his right shoulder after being injured in practice two days earlier.
Without Morant and an injury-riddled roster, Memphis finished 27-55 and drafted two-time AP Player of the Year Zach Edey out of Purdue at ninth overall.
Morant returned to practice over the summer and began working immediately with his newest teammate. Nike, among Morant’s remaining sponsors, dropped its Ja 2 shoe last week along with an ad on social media on Sunday.
The subject? Getting back up when knocked down.
Morant’s Grizzlies teammates saw it over the summer. Morant began working with Edey, particularly on the court, after he was cleared in mid-July from his shoulder rehab. Edey said Morant made him feel welcome to work with the team after he contacted the guard.
“I’m just very grateful for that,” Edey said.
Coach Taylor Jenkins said it’s been fun and impressive to watch Morant work with his teammates continuously since he was cleared to work again. Jenkins said he feels a renewed focus and joy for Morant after a tough year.
“Basketball was taken away from him, and that’s his joy. It’s his love,” Jenkins said. “He has so much to give to the game. He knows he has more to give to the game. He knows he has more to give to this team, and that was his mindset. And I loved seeing it blossom , and I’ll hold him to it.”
Guard Desmond Bane said Morant is in great shape physically and with his game. He is most excited to see Morant as a leader speaking out.
“He’s always dominated the gym, and you know people are listening every time he talks,” Bane said.
Watching Morant on the court is what everyone wants to see next.
