Thursday featured Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant delivering a savage taunt towards Ja Morant’s father during the Memphis Grizzlies game. Despite a decent performance from Morant, the disgruntled star’s dad watched as his son’s team lost its fourth-straight game, 124-109.
The home loss may have been among the last that Morant participates in as a member of the Grizzlies. His recent situation in Memphis appears dire, with Morant getting suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.
That happened after a perceived lack of effort from the two-time All-Star in their loss on Halloween night to the Los Angeles Lakers. Following the game, Grizzlies head coach confronted Morant about stepping up as a leader and contributing. That apparently didn’t go smoothly, drawing a one-game suspension for the NBA star.
He’s also been evasive in answering reporters’ questions about the situation with his NBA franchise. During recent locker room exchanges, he suggested that members of the media should ask the coaching staff, not him, for answers.
Someone attending the Grizzlies’ game against the Rockets on Wednesday evening captured footage of Durant during an exchange with Morant’s father, Tee Morant.
“Your son don’t wanna be here, we know it’s your last weekend, enjoy your time,” the @Fullcourtpass X account indicated Durant said.
That elicited laughter from some in the crowd, possibly including Morant’s father, who isn’t visible in any of the video clip featuring Durant.
While Durant scored that extreme troll during the game and the win, his performance saw him score only 11 points in 34 minutes. He also recorded five assists, four rebounds, one assist, and a steal in the Rockets' win.
On the opposing side, Morant played better than he had against the Lakers, contributing 17 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
Former UConn player Cam Spencer scored a team-high 19 points for the Grizzlies off the bench, eclipsing Morant's total. Should Morant get traded, it wouldn't be surprising if Spencer took on a bigger role with the team.
As of this writing, there are no confirmed reports of Memphis talking about trades with other teams. In addition, some believe the former All-Star’s off-court issues and NBA suspensions may have dropped his trade value for the Grizzlies.
That said, most likely, wherever Ja Morant goes next, his father will follow, as he’s been an ardent and visible supporter of his son’s career.
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