13-Year NBA Veteran Shares Harsh Message for Ja Morant

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is expected to return at the start of next season after playing just nine games last season. Suspended for the first 25 games, Morant returned for nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, 13-year NBA veteran and former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Sam Mitchell shared a harsh message for Morant about how he will need to conduct himself upon returning to the Grizzlies.

“It’s gonna be interesting to see how Taylor Jenkins and how this team functions with Ja coming back after missing basically the whole season,” Mitchell said. “And this is another thing. He didn’t miss the whole season because of injuries. He missed the whole season because of himself.”

"[Ja Morant] has to have a since of humility when he walks through that door"@SamMitchellNBA shares his thoughts with @JumpShot8 on Morant’s return to the court...take a listen⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3T01gdebFC
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 20, 2024

That second point from Mitchell is not entirely accurate, because while Morant missed 25 games due to suspension, he missed the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery.

Mitchell then got more harsh in his messaging for Morant, saying he needs to walk gently when he returns.

Mar 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball during a time out against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

“So not only does he have to walk gently when he comes back through that door, he’s gotta have a sense of humility when he comes through that door,” Mitchell said. “Because hey man, it’s on you. You’re the one who left your teammates out to dry. You did this. They didn’t do it. You didn’t get hurt, you made decisions off the floor that jeopardized yourself, your status on the team, and your team’s success. So to me, you can’t just walk in the door and everything starts like it was… No, you’re gonna have to earn it again.”

Again, Morant did get hurt, which is why his return from suspension lasted just nine games. That said, the Grizzlies star did put his team in a hole to start last season with the suspension, but their slow start was also heavily influenced by injuries.

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