Since being issued a 25-game suspension back in June following yet another gun-related incident, Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant has largely avoided the public eye to the best of his abilities.
Though fans have seen glimpses of life from the point guard from time to time, for the vast majority of the offseason he’s been out of the spotlight whilst, allegedly, attempting to better himself and his decision-making skills moving forward.
Since entering the league back in 2019, Morant has been branded as one of the brightest young talents in the game, and his production that has led to a Rookie of the Year award, two All-Star nods, and an All-NBA selection certainly shows that he’s been able to live up to the pressure from an on-court standpoint.
His actions off the court, however, have been another story unfortunately, as he’s been found attached to a slew of troubling events and transgressions throughout his four-year career.
While it’s undeniably hard to pinpoint the direct root of his polarizing behavior, a recent report by ESPN surfaced noting that a source within the Grizzlies has seemingly attributed his poor off-court decisions to the star’s father, Tee Higgins.
"“Tee has been a major driving force in all of this. He never made the NBA, but this was his chance to live like he’s an NBA superstar. That’s been a problem from the beginning,” the source informed ESPN."
Soon after the piece by Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon surfaced, Morant crafted a post on social media in support of his dad.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant shows father, Tee Morant, love on Instagram
Via his personal Instagram account, the Grizzlies cornerstone posted an image of him and his father on a story, with a caption reading “keep LIVIN the dream OG. this hoopin shii started with you, i just continued it 🤝🏿💙”.
Ja Morant shows love to Tee Morant ❤️ pic.twitter.com/v4dE5aAwNf
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 18, 2023
The father and son duo have displayed quite a close and personal relationship throughout the years that has become endeared amongst Grizzlies nation.
Despite the ESPN article’s content about Tee’s supposed negative impact on Ja, there have been numerous instances over the past several months where he has rightfully called out the star for his questionable decision-making.
Ja’s post seems to serve as a heartfelt clap-back to these recent rumblings.
NBA Champion puts Grizzlies star Ja Morant on notice following ESPN 100
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