Tee Morant, the father of NBA star Ja Morant, has weighed in on his son’s off-court troubles, shedding light on who should be blamed for the Memphis Grizzlies‘ player’s mistakes. Speaking at the Up Next Elite Camp in New Orleans, he debunked misconceptions.
Morant faces a 25-game suspension from the NBA after being captured on Instagram Live holding what appeared to be a firearm. This marked his second suspension within a few months, the prior one being an eight-game suspension following a video that seemed to show him with a gun.
These suspensions were just a fraction of the challenges Morant was involved in as the prominent face of the Grizzlies. An altercation involving a mall security guard and allegations from a high school basketball prospect further added to the string of problematic headlines.
Tee Morant Points to Ja, Not his Friends
The involvement of Ja Morant’s friend, Davonte Pack, also played a role in these incidents. Pack’s Instagram account was the source of the video depicting Morant with the firearm that led to the second suspension.
Despite the external influences, Tee Morant stressed the importance of personal responsibility. He firmly stated: “My son didn’t get in trouble because of people around him. He got in trouble because of his decisions.”
Morant had expressed regret after his latest suspension: “To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I’m going to be better. To all my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise”.