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All-Star Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant returned to NBA action on Wednesday night, as he came off the bench for the Griz to score 17 points in their win against the Houston Rockets.
And while Grizzlies fans were obviously glad to see Morant back on the court, some of his post-game actions have rubbed the rest of the NBA world the wrong way.
Speaking to reporters after the game Ja was joined by his daughter Jaari — who then recited lyrics from rapper NBA Youngboy — and that led some fans to believe he was using his daughter as a PR play. Bleacher Report, who shared the video of Morant and his daughter Jaari, has even deleted their tweet.
Using his daughter for PR 😂😂 https://t.co/ubexjOCXaX
— ja warrant (@muna1of1) March 23, 2023
https://twitter.com/FCKNJORDAN/status/1638752924552536065
PR team on point for this. https://t.co/szpT7XZSLZ
— TVKO (@1st_n_fl1ght) March 23, 2023
Prior to Wednesday night’s game against the Rockets, Morant was previously away from the team for two weeks after he flashed a gun during an Instagram live stream from a Denver strip club on March 4. Officially, the NBA suspended Morant for 8 games. The Grizzlies were able to keep their heads above water with Morant, though, as they went 5-3 during his absence.
Good pr move https://t.co/tNoNmzUdXG
— SPUD (@FuturisticSPUD) March 23, 2023
Family man Rebrand https://t.co/GLpZS0jmTw
— JD Sportsnation ✝️ #16-10 (@Piece_OF_JD) March 23, 2023
Trotting the kids out for damage control, classic https://t.co/XPSq99aebv
— Antony Ludwig (@Doritos_Xtreme) March 23, 2023
At this time, Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies are currently the #2 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 45-27, trailing only the Denver Nuggets. Currently, the Grizzlies trail the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Golen State Warriors when it comes to the betting odds on the winner of this year’s NBA title.
https://twitter.com/harrow_nav/status/1638740083166842881
nba pr thinks they’re slick 🤦♂️ https://t.co/et5kvhnxU9
— Henry (@v_Gladius_v) March 23, 2023
That boy in full PR mode when you got baby girl for the press conference 😭😭 https://t.co/ae1xf1zqin
— Cam✌🏾 (@_CrispyyCam) March 23, 2023
Still just 23 years old, Morant was selected by the Grizzlies as the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Almost immediately, Morant blossomed into a superstar as he won Rookie of the Year after he averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
So far this season, Morant is averaging 26.9 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game.
RELATED: Stephen Jackson Claims Ja Morant Doesn’t Need Counseling And Gets Slammed For His Take