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Grizzlies star Ja Morant to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after tearing labrum at practice

Ja Morant played in just nine games this season, and only returned last month after his 25-game suspension

Ryan Young
Staff writer
·2 min read
255

Ja Morant’s season is over.

Morant sustained a torn labrum in his right shoulder and is set to undergo season-ending surgery in the coming days, the Memphis Grizzlies announced on Monday night. Morant sustained the injury in a training session on Saturday, the team said, and an MRI confirmed the injury on Monday.

It’s unclear specifically what happened in practice that led to the injury. The 24-year-old is expected to be fully recovered for the start of next season.

Morant played in just nine games for the Grizzlies this season, as he was hit with a 25-game suspension in June for brandishing a firearm on social media. It marked just the latest off-court incident Morant faced over the last year. He was suspended for eight games last season after he flashed what appeared to be a gun at a Colorado nightclub, and was also linked to incidents where he allegedly assaulted a teenager at his home and allegedly threatened the head of security at a Memphis mall. His entourage also allegedly threatened Indiana Pacers staff after a contentious game last season.

Morant returned from his suspension last month, where he dropped 34 points and hit the game winning shot to lift the Grizzlies past the New Orleans Pelicans. Morant has averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds in his nine games this season.

“They showed me a lot of support, they got on my ass a little bit, too, but it was needed,” Morant said of his circle during his suspension last month. “Obviously, learn from me for like, in this world a lot of us make mistakes. If you make a mistake, have another chance to fix it and reinvent yourself.

“I’m seeing, I’m hearing a lot of, ‘Ja, I’m proud of you with how you carry yourself,’ from them, and I can see how it changed them as well. … I feel like that’s the good that happened during this process. I actually don’t wish it happened, but we definitely took me, my family, my team to the next level.”

The Grizzlies will enter Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks with just a 13-23 record, though they’ve won three of their past four games. They beat the Phoenix Suns 121-115 without Morant, who was listed out with right shoulder soreness, on Sunday.