After being labeled as the scourge of the NBA during his 25-game suspension, superstar Ja Morant returned to his familiar confines among the NBA elite.
On Tuesday, Dec. 27, Memphis Grizzlies’ tempestuous point guard was named by the NBA as the Western Conference Player of the Week, just days after returning from his temporary banishment from the sport after repeated violations of league rules. Morant won out over other candidates that included LeBron James and Steph Curry.
During his first three games back in action, Morant guided his Grizzlies (9-19) to a 3-0 record for the week and averaged 28 points, including a 34-point, buzzer-beating performance over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid was named the Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference.
The recognition spawned debate among NBA fans, some of whom thought other superstars were more deserving.
“So not Luka [Doncic] or even AD [Anthony Davis]😐, don’t get me wrong I’m happy for Ja but Luka and AD both been doing so amazing especially Luka and it still baffles me how he’s not even top three for the MVP race🤦🏽♂️,” one person wrote on the NBA Buzz’s Instagram page.
A second person surmised that “The NBA only selected JA so that they can make it look like all is well cause they will lose money if one of their superstars continues to carry a bad image.”
Morant was levied a severe punishment for flashing a handgun on Instagram Live twice within three months last season.
The charismatic and uber-popular but embattled b-baller admitted there were some very dark days after languishing in NBA purgatory for the first few months of the season.
“It was definitely tough, some horrible days. It was tough, but like I said to start this, with the support that I had throughout this process, it definitely helped me a lot. It’s pretty much all I could lean on at that time,” Morant shared with his 10 million Instagram followers about how he coped with the suspension.
“Obviously, basketball is something I’ve been doing pretty much my whole life. Something that’s therapeutic for me. Obviously taking that away, it makes it tougher. But, like I said, I had the right people around me, from my family to the organization and to my other partners that helped me along in the process.”
