Monday's announcement that Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder completes a turbulent stretch for one of the NBA's brightest young stars.
The 24-year-old Morant entered into the 2023-24 season with a 25-game NBA suspension for brandishing a firearm on social media (Morant served an eight-game NBA suspension last season for a similar offense).
Morant returned to the Grizzlies on Dec. 19, joining a 6-19 Grizzlies squad already missing center Steven Adams (knee) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles). Morant gave them an instant jolt, leading the Grizzlies to six wins in the nine games that he played, while averaging 25.