MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant remains unhappy with his role with the team following a one-game suspension.
Morant returned to action Monday night in a 114-106 loss to the Pistons after serving the suspension, handed down by the Grizzlies for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
The suspension followed comments he made after Friday night’s 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers when he repeatedly told media to “go ask the coaches” when asked what went wrong and said “according to them (the coaches), probably don’t play me,” when asked what could have gone differently.
Morant’s comments following the loss to the Pistons did little to quell the tension, as Ja says he’s “lost his joy” playing with the team.
When a reporter asked Ja if he spoke to the coaching staff to try to work out their issues, he responded with, “Y’all asked that question to them, huh? So y’all know the answer to that.”
When asked if things have been resolved, Morant responded, “Yeah. They told y’all that, right?”
“Obviously they can’t tell y’all something that I didn’t say,” Morant responded.
Before the game, head coach Tuomas Iisalo told reporters that he had a discussion with Morant and said both sides are looking to move forward.
Iisalo declined to offer context to what happened Friday, referring to the issue as an “internal matter.”
Morant said the last few days have not been a distraction for him, but when asked if he felt the same joy he used to while playing, he issued a blunt, “no,” without elaboration.
When asked what it would take to get that joy back, he responded with, “we’ll see.”
He also insisted he still has a good relationship with the organization, before adding, “They told y’all that, right?”
Morant scored 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting in 35 minutes in his return to action Monday.
The Grizzlies will be back on the court at FedExForum on Wednesday night to host Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets
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