Ja Morant’s father rooting for Jazz to win NBA title
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s father endured racist heckling from a group of Utah Jazz fans during the Grizzlies’ first round series against the team. It turns out that after the Jazz eliminated the Grizzlies, he’s pulling for them to go a lot further.
Tee Morant was heard telling Jazz star Donovan Mitchell after Wednesday’s Utah victory that he hoped Utah went on to win the championship, crediting the organization for how it handled the vulgar fans earlier in the series.
Tee Morant to Donovan Mitchell: “Y’all didn’t have to show us love like that. … That’s why I hope the Jazz win the championship.”
Mitchell told ESPN, “For me, it was just the ultimate sign of respect.”
ESPN story: https://t.co/5iIPCGO485 pic.twitter.com/O977v5bB0d
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 3, 2021
“Hey yo, I’m going for y’all right now,” Tee Morant told Mitchell courtside after Utah’s win. “Why? Y’all didn’t have to do that. Y’all didn’t have to show love to us like that.
“This is what I’m saying: When s— goes bad and then you reach out, that’s how you bridge the gap. Most people don’t realize that. That’s why I appreciate you, and that’s why I hope the Jazz win the championship.”
Mitchell told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he had a great deal of respect for Morant and his family, and was very appreciative for the support.
“For me, it was just the ultimate sign of respect,” Mitchell said. “You see him talking about the way he handled it, the way we went about it. For me, that’s just how you approach it. Things are going to happen, and you’ve got to show a side of gratitude — bridging that gap, like he said.
“The fact that he’s pulling for us is dope. We appreciate it. There’s just a lot of respect. Hard-fought series. I feel like Ja and I are going to have battles for a long time in our careers. This was just the first one, but there’s just a lot of respect all around.”
The Jazz swiftly banned three fans for directing racist and vulgar taunts at Morant’s family during Game 2 in Utah. Clearly, Tee Morant was more than satisfied with the organization’s response to the incident.
