It wasn’t exactly the biggest shock when the Memphis Grizzlies decided to suspend Ja Morant following his blunt comments after their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Usually a player gets punished when they openly question the coaching staff.
However, it turns out there’s more to it than that. Morant’s comments definitely warranted a punishment, but it turns out there may have been some hurt feelings there that led to this whole incident.
What Went Down Leading Up to the Grizzlies Suspending Ja Morant?
After confirming the Grizzlies’ suspension of Morant, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed the full details of what went down between Morant and the Grizzlies.
“Suspension comes as a result of Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo challenging Morant’s leadership and effort in a postgame exchange after loss to the Lakers on Friday night, to which Morant responded in a tone deemed inappropriate, sources said,” Charania wrote.
Suspension comes as a result of Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo challenging Morant’s leadership and effort in a postgame exchange after loss to the Lakers on Friday night — to which Morant responded in a tone deemed inappropriate, sources said. https://t.co/N31fGXkabw
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 1, 2025
Does this excuse Morant’s actions at all? No. He should know better than to call out the coaching staff after a loss when a lot of it stemmed from him not living up to standards as the team’s best player.
However, it is understandable when a star gets frustrated with himself, and his frustration only gets amplified when the coach questions his leadership, that he may be a little unfiltered with the media afterward.
The real question will be whether Morant and the Grizzlies can move past this going forward. This could turn into quite the elephant in the room for both sides. Neither Morant nor the Grizzlies trusting each other has the potential to get so much worse if their season does not improve.
All it takes is one incident to turn into a highly-publicized fallout. In Morant’s and the Grizzlies’ case, this isn’t the first time he has gotten himself into trouble. Previously, his controversies didn’t involve the team, but now they do. Being 3-3 after six games isn’t too bad, but all it takes is issues like these and one bad stretch for both sides to decide it’s time for a divorce.
That’s not always the case, but it has happened before. The Grizzlies’ lack of progress since Morant surprised everyone when he burst onto the scene, coupled with the mutual tension, could be all it takes to end this once-promising era once and for all.