Grizzlies' Ja Morant Will 'Show the World Who He Is' After Suspension, Father Says

Ja Morant made his return to the floor Wednesday night, scoring 17 points in a 130-125 win over the Houston Rockets in his first game action since brandishing a gun in a Denver strip club on March 3.

Tee Morant, Ja's father, said the fallout will lead to his son showing NBA fans his true colors moving forward.

"They were rough, bruh," Tee Morant said of the days following the reaction, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. "Rough. Reading bad things about my son and (people) judging him off of things that he really doesn't believe in. It's so crazy that people love to throw the stone but wouldn't want the stone thrown at their kid. I felt totally responsible. Ja's gonna show the world who he is, and I'm excited about that."

Morant missed 10 games in total as he sought treatment for mental health concerns and served an eight-game NBA suspension for conduct detrimental to the league. The incident was the latest in a concerning pattern of reports in recent months, which included an alleged assault of a 17-year-old and suggestions that an acquaintance may have threatened members of the Indiana Pacers with a gun.

An NBA investigation could not confirm that Morant or any of his acquaintances brandished a firearm in that circumstance.

Morant's off-court behavior led to Nike and Powerade pulling back on using the Grizzlies star as a face of their brands. While neither company dropped Morant, it's clear the all-out push for him to become the face of Gen Z basketball is on hold for now.

For now, Morant seems intently focused on getting himself back in the good graces of the public and playing winning basketball.

"It meant a lot, man," Morant told reporters when asked what it meant to receive an ovation from Grizzlies fans. "Obviously, I'm thankful and grateful for everybody who's been supporting me during this time. It definitely helped me a lot, definitely made me feel a little better. Eased everything that was going on. Felt good to be back. Super excited. Glad we was able to get the win."