NBA superstar Ja Morant is out for the season just weeks after his return from a major suspension for violation of league statutes.
Morant, 24, one of the marquee stars of the NBA, is ruled out for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign after suffering a tear in the muscle in his shoulder that will require surgery, ESPN reports.
The aerial acrobat who is a fan favorite — but who is also a mercurial personality — suffered what is termed a “subluxation of his right shoulder during a training session on Saturday.” This forced the star to miss Sunday’s road win over the Phoenix Suns.
After an MRI was performed, it was revealed that Morant suffered an underlying labral tear that will require surgery to repair and sideline him the rest of the season for recuperation and rehabilitation.
Interestingly enough, the Grizzlies went 6-3 with Morant in the lineup, matching the team’s record to begin the season without the point guard. He had been suspended for the first 25 games of the season after flashing a handgun on social media for the second time in three months. He was suspended eight games for the first infraction where he flashed a firearm in the middle of a Denver strip club.
This setback greatly imperils the Grizzlies’ season. They were already ranked 13th in the Western Conference with a 13-23 record, far outside of the playoff picture. The team is already without the services of invaluable center Steven Adams who has been out since January 2023 with a tear in the PCL ligament in his right knee.
