Ja Morant got slapped with a one-game suspension after publicly calling out the Memphis coaching staff following the Grizzlies’ latest loss.
Ja Morant caught a one-game suspension from the Memphis Grizzlies after putting his coaches on blast following Friday night’s 117-117 loss to the Lakers at FedExForum.
The dude went off script when asked what went sideways during the game. His exact words? “Go ask the coaching staff. Go ask them. They had a whole spiel in here, so…”
That little mic drop moment earned him a fresh suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team,” according to the Grizzlies brass. Translation — they didn’t appreciate him tossing the coaching staff under the bus, especially in front of reporters.
This isn’t new territory for Ja. The 25-year-old guard has had a streak of headline-making stunts, including a 25-game suspension earlier in the 2023-24 season after flashing what looked like a gun on IG Live — for the second time.
That clip, filmed at a Denver-area club, followed an earlier 8-game ban for the same kind of nonsense back in March 2023.
Between the suspensions and a nagging shoulder, Morant hasn’t been much of a regular on the court.
His no-shows played a significant role in Memphis missing the playoffs last season, despite him being a two-time All-Star and a key piece of their 2022 and 2023 postseason runs.
Friday’s game exposed even more cracks in the team’s chemistry. The Grizzlies are already off to a slow start in the 2024-25 season and this kind of drama isn’t helping.
Word is that tensions have been running high between Morant and the coaching staff since his return from his lengthy suspension.
Coach Taylor Jenkins and the front office have been preaching accountability and a team-first attitude for a long time now. Kinda awkward, considering they gave Morant a five-year $193 million extension in 2022.
Now they’re watching him put the squad’s chemistry at risk, again.
Morant will sit out the next game while the Grizzlies try to get their act together. With the team already struggling to find any rhythm, his absence might make things even worse.
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