Ja Morant’s father believes one person is at fault for his son’s bevy of troubles — Ja Morant.
Tee Morant spoke at the Up Next Elite Camp and told those in attendance that decisions are important, and his son made some wrong ones over the last year.
“My son didn’t get in trouble cause of people around him,” he said at the New Orleans event. “He got in trouble because of his decisions.”
Last year, the Grizzlies star was hit with an eight-game suspension for brandishing a weapon on social media while at a Denver-area nightclub on March.
And after he posed with a firearm during a live stream on Instagram in May, he was hit with a 25-game ban from NBA commissioner Adam Silver that will start at the beginning of this season.
In June, the NBA announced that Morant, 24, will not be able to participate in team or league activities during the length of the suspension.
His father also said to the children in attendance that it’s paramount to make the right choices in life.
“The smallest thing you can do can make the biggest difference in your life,” Tee Morant said. “When I’m talking about life and living, I get kind of emotional … but I’m just telling y’all to make the right decisions.”
Earlier this month, Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. said the team will have to figure out how to win games without Morant, who has proven to be a force — when on the court.
“We just gotta navigate it,” Jackson told Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “Obviously, we know that not having Ja is a real big hole to fill, but, you know, he’s not, it’s not like he’s not gonna be around.”
The Grizzlies acquired Marcus Smart in a blockbuster deal with the Celtics this summer, and he’s expected to play a prominent role with Morant out.
Morant, the NBA’s 2019-20 Rookie of the Year, has averaged 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game over his first four NBA seasons.