Home Basketball Ja Morant’s father, Tee, ‘saw growth’ during son’s time away from Grizzlies

Ja Morant’s father, Tee, ‘saw growth’ during son’s time away from Grizzlies

Basketball — 11/17/2023

Tee Morant, seated courtside at FedEx Forum with a black bucket hat, shades, and a black hoodie with a caricature of his son and the phrase “redemption” on the front, wasn’t at a loss for words. With three minutes left in the first quarter, Ja Morant hit the floor for the first time since March 3 to a standing ovation. The cheers were thunderous, and the emotions were real.

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 22: Tee Morant looks on before the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets at FedExForum on March 22, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

“I really think it’s great for the city,” Tee Morant told The Athletic. “I’m like the way they’re treating the Morants. People make mistakes. “I’m relieved that we can return to normalcy.”

Morant had been absent from the Grizzlies since March 4, when he was forced to leave after posting video of himself in a Denver-area bar displaying a weapon following a loss to the Nuggets. Morant stated in a statement that he would “take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.” Morant missed eight games due to an NBA suspension and a ninth to reacquaint himself with the team. The event with Morant with a firearm was not the first, proven or alleged.

“They were rough, bruh,” Tee Morant said of the past four days in his family. “Rough. Reading negative things about my son and (others) passing judgment on him based on things he does not believe in. It’s insane that individuals enjoy throwing stones but would not want one thrown at their child. I felt completely accountable. Ja is going to show the world who he is, and I’m excited about that.”

Much has been said about Ja Morant and his personal life in recent weeks. There have been doubts about the company he keeps, as well as his off-court antics — all distractions from a season in which the Grizzlies have legitimate championship expectations. Morant, who is only 23 years old, is the franchise’s face and has amassed enough riches to support future generations. But he needed aid, and Tee Morant accepts responsibility for that.

“I blame myself,” he admitted. “I blame myself. Because that’s my son. When I say I’ll die for my kids, I mean it. Has the world considered or considered that? I’m going to blame myself for everything my child does.”