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With Memphis Grizzlies polarizing point guard Ja Morant returning to play on Tuesday, "The King" welcomed him back into the fold.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James posted to X showing support for Morant’s return after serving a 25-game suspension stemming from his display of handguns on his social media.
"Welcome back!!" James tweeted with an emoji No. 12 prefacing it for Morant’s jersey number. "Go be GREAT again!!"
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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant #12 and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James #6 talk during the second half at FedExForum on December 29, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Morant has been able to practice and travel with the team, taking part in morning shoot-arounds as his suspension terms say. However, he has not been permitted to be in an arena with the team during game days.
Head coach Taylor Jenkins has commended Morant for his work ethic despite not being allowed to play.
"He’s been awesome outside of not being able to play in the games," Jenkins said Friday night, per NBA.com. "He’s taken every opportunity to be with his teammates. He’s been leaning into the team a lot, (doing) off-court stuff with his teammates."
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Morant also spoke with reporters this past Friday for the first time this season, saying he’s been counting down the days waiting for Tuesday night’s contest against the New Orleans Pelicans to get back out on the court with his teammates.
He reflected on his suspension as well.
"In the end, I feel like it made me better," Morant explained. "I feel like I learned some stuff about myself that I did during that process. Very eye-opening. It kind of gave me a new look on life. How I go about my days. How I carry myself."
Morant, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2019 as well as the 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year, was suspended a combined 33 games after two separate instances where he flashed a handgun on social media.
Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies and LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game on January 20, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
The first came in a Denver nightclub on his Instagram Live, where he brandished the weapon for his livestream viewers to see. Then, on his friend’s Instagram Live two weeks later, Morant was singing a song when he showed the weapon again.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced a more harsh suspension after the second incident, and laid out steps Morant needed to take during that time.
Silver and Morant spoke this past week, with the latter saying the conversation went well.
Moving forward, Morant knows his actions will show that he’s a changed player and man.
"I can’t, you know, make nobody believe me outside of my actions," Morant said. "So me answering this question with just words probably won’t mean nothing to nobody."
Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on as LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands in the background during Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at FedExForum on April 26, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
The Grizzlies surely need Morant back on the court, as they’ve been off to a major skid to start the season, owning a 6-19 record one season after earning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
However, with Morant unavailable, James and the Lakers took care of them in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
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Morant played 61 games last season, averaging 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists, which played a major role in Memphis gaining the playoff seed they did.