In photos: Ja Morant's new back tattoo featuring tributes to Kobe Bryant and more
Suspended NBA star Ja Morant made the waves online after showing off his new tattoos. Morant's new tattoos went viral online recently, and it had some interesting details. The tattoos on his back seemed like a significant tribute to the late Kobe Bryant.
Morant had the famous "sword" logo of Bryant that features on the latter's shoe line and other merchandise along with his jersey No. 24, with "mentality" written over it, emphasizing the Lakers' star's phrase, "Mamba Mentality." Morant also had Memphis Grizzlies' franchise logo, quotes about his faith in god and family. Here are the pictures:
Ja Morant’s new ink goes hard🔥🔥
(Via inkednba on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/beK2V0OLF2" target="_blank" title="tweet-url" rel="noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/beK2V0OLF2" target="_blank" title="tweet-url" rel="noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/beK2V0OLF2
Ja Morant is in the middle of his offseason, which will extend 25 games into the 2023-24 season. After flashing a gun on Instagram Live, the Grizzlies All-Star point guard got suspended for the second time in three months in May. He got suspended for eight games in March for the same misconduct.
The Grizzlies star's image is at an all-time low after it nearly hit its peak over the last two seasons. Morant has been phenomenal on the court, but his actions off the court have hurt his following. The Grizzlies star will hope to turn things around when he returns and makes his season debut.
Ja Morant looks poised to make a strong comeback amid controversial run off the court
Ja Morant's offseason business seems to be going well for now. He cited mental health as a reason behind his actions that got him suspended, and now he seems to be in good spirits. Morant also saw his signature shoe released with Nike, the "Ja 1s," shortly before he showed off his new tattoos.
Ja Morant’s latest signature sneaker called “Hunger” released on the SNKRS app today and sold out in minutes 😳
(Via @TMZ_Sports ) twitter.com/i/web/status/1… pic.twitter.com/071Uys4Wau
It's drawn praise for its design among sneakerheads, leaving them scrambling to secure their first pair of "Ja's." It may also motivate Morant to have another solid season and prove to his critics that he can stay on track by working on his disciplinary issues.
Ja Morant will have some veteran presence around him this season, with the Grizzlies signing Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose in the offseason. That's crucial for his development off the court as an NBA superstar.
Memphis' lack of veteran leadership was blamed for Morant's misconduct and the team's struggles in the playoffs. The Grizzlies hope Smart and Rose's addition will flip the script for them and see their superstar hit his ceiling with their guidance.
Also read: How many tattoos does Ja Morant have?