Ja Morant made changes in his time away from the Grizzlies. For one, his entourage now has matching outfits.
Ja Morant’s father Tee and uncle Phil are wearing custom “REDEMPTION” hoodies with Ja’s image on them in their courtside seats. pic.twitter.com/zheo9wxhft
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 22, 2023
Morant's father, uncle and training team wore the custom-made hooded sweatshirts for his return to the Grizzlies after serving an eight-game suspension. He also went to counseling during his absence, but perhaps he also visited a custom-printing shop.
"That was my family's idea,” Morant told reporters. “It’s me coming back after some negative things have been said constantly throughout this whole basically, what, year and a half now. How I felt? Kind of like a redemption, obviously. It could have been worse."
While there have indeed been negative things said, there have also been negative things allegedly done, such as showing off a gun on Instagram Live, and allegations of violent incidents involving mall security and teenage basketball players. But now when Morant and his team show up to confront a high school volleyball player, they can wear matching sweatshirts.
But perhaps he can redeem the Grizzlies' season. Morant came off the bench for the first time in his NBA career, as he didn't want to mess up the continuity of his team, who had won six out of seven with Tyus Jones starting. He scored 17 points in 24 minutes, received multiple standing ovations from the Memphis crowd and threw down a poster dunk like he'd never been away at all.
Pete and Brevin cam for the Ja Morant dunk pic.twitter.com/qks4GXrDyH
— Grizzlies Nation (@GrizNationCP) March 23, 2023
Memphis needs Morant for the playoff push, but also simply to get his life settled as a human being. If custom hoodies are helping that cause, the Grizzlies would gladly pay Morant's tab at Shirtique.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!