Ja Morant‘s pre-season debut was cut short on Monday evening.
Suiting up with his Memphis Grizzlies against the Dallas Mavericks, Morant seemed to land wrong following a dunk in the third quarter. He took an intentional foul to remove himself from the game and limped off the court. He did not return.
Earlier in the contest, Morant appeared to roll his ankle and left the game for about six minutes before eventually returning near the end of the second quarter.
Before leaving the game, Morant posted 18 minutes of playing time, with 13 points, four rebounds and one very impressive block.
The 25-year-old missed the majority of the 2023-24 season, between a 25-game suspension and a season-ending shoulder surgery. He was first suspended from all Grizzlies activities on May 14, 2023 after he brandished a gun on an Instagram live for the second time in three months. The league then issued him the 25-game suspension, with his return contingent on completing a program to address his wrong-doings.
He made his return to the Grizzlies lineup on Dec. 19, 2023 and played nine games before ultimately suffering his shoulder injury.
The Dalzell, S.C., native won Rookie of the Year in 2020 and has since made two NBA All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023.
