Ja Morant was not feeling a lot of love from his own fans as he made his return on Monday night.
The Memphis Grizzlies star returned to the lineup against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing nearly a month with a knee injury. The Grizzlies trailed for much of the second half though and went on to lose 102-99.
After the loss, Morant expressed frustration with some comments that were made to him by Grizzlies fans sitting courtside.
“Even during the game, I was running down the court and I heard some of my fans courtside tell me I need to sit back out,” said Morant, per Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian. “So, I just don’t understand what they wanted to get out of that. I feel like that just makes it worse.
“I’m just frustrated,” added the former Rookie of the Year. “Normally, y’all have seen it, when anybody says something negative about me, it fuels me. But, tonight, the remarks from the fans actually hurt. I’m going to do what I normally do and bounce back and I’m very excited for this next game.”
Morant actually did well with 16 points (on 6-for-12 shooting), six rebounds, and eight assists. He also had a memorable viral moment during the game.
But it was a frustrating defeat for the Grizzlies, who managed to go 10-2 in Morant’s absence. They also beat the Thunder by an all-time record margin in their last meeting. Still, that was definitely no way for the fans to treat Morant, the 22-year-old future of their franchise, in his first game back.
H/T CBS Sports
Photo: Nelson Chenault-USA Today Sports
