Tee Morant on suspended son Ja Morant: 'He got in trouble because of his decisions'
Tee Morant, the father of Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, is offering advice on decision-making to up-and-coming basketball players amid his son's own struggles.
While speaking at the Up Next Elite Camp in New Orleans, Morant advised the children in attendance to "be mindful of every decision you make," adding that no one is to blame for Ja Morant's current predicament except himself.
“My son didn’t get in trouble 'cause of people around him," Morant said. "He got in trouble because of his decisions.”
He's referring to an off-court incident involving Ja Morant, who received a 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league after displaying a handgun on Instagram Live on two separate occasions, the first of which resulted in an eight-game suspension and a visit to a counseling program in Florida.
JA MORANT: NBA suspends Grizzlies star 25 games over second Instagram Live gun incident
"The smallest thing you can do can make the biggest difference in your life," Morant added. "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."
Pelicans stars CJ McCollum and Jose Alvarado also spoke at the Up Next Elite Camp.
On March 4, Ja Morant brandished a firearm at a Denver nightclub while streaming on Instagram Live following a game against the Denver Nuggets. Two months later on May 14, Morant displayed a gun in another Instagram Live video while in a car with several other individuals in Memphis.
"Morant wielded the firearm while knowing that he was being recorded and that the recording was being live streamed on Instagram Live, despite having made commitments to the NBA and public statements that he would not repeat the conduct for which he was previously disciplined," the league said in a statement in June announcing his 25-game suspension.
Ja Morant will miss a third of the season and will be eligible to return in December. He won't be eligible for season-ending awards and will forfeit $7.6 million in salary.