"Thug just like daddy"- NBA fans are in splits seeing Ja Morant's daughter giving a hilarious reply to reporter
Ja Morant and his daughter, Kaari, had a wholesome moment following his return to the court in the Memphis Grizzlies' 130-125 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Morant was suspended for eight games and eventually missed nine total for flashing a gun at a club in Colorado on his Instagram Live on March 3 following a 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Ja Morant appeared for a walkout interview with his daughter. Morant quoted controversial rapper NBA YoungBoy's song lyrics, which said:
"It's a parade inside my city yeah!"
Morant hilariously asked his daughter to repeat the lyrics during the interview. Here's a clip of the interview (via NBA Central on Twitter):
Kaari Morant π https://t.co/h982ZXUahw
NBA fans online couldn't resist mocking Morant for his recent behavior. The lyrics belong to a song related to guns and violence, so his daughter saying the line prompted hilarious reactions.
"thug just like daddy," one Twitter user tweeted.
@TheNBACentral thug just like daddy
@TheNBACentral Skip did it better ππ https://t.co/Z2XIxe9gAP
@TheNBACentral Skip Bayless rn https://t.co/AlaOUjXEIV
@TheNBACentral I donβt think ja is someone you would want to repeat what he says
@TheNBACentral She want to be Deuce Tatum, he the real GOAT of NBA toddlers
@TheNBACentral His PR groupβs idea
@TheNBACentral He's learned nothing
@TheNBACentral How she say a lyric better than Skip Bayless
@TheNBACentral Even got the girl acting hoodπ So much for being a good influence
@TheNBACentral Teach that little girl some Bible songs.
@TheNBACentral PR team working overtime pushing family π
Memphis Grizzlies to ease Ja Morant into the starting lineup
The Memphis Grizzlies are showing patience with Ja Morant's return to the starting lineup.
Morant played 23 minutes off the bench on his return, tallying 17 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals, shooting 46.2%. And Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said that the trend might continue for a couple more games.
Morant came off the bench for the first time since his debut in 2019. He looked solid in his first game back but will ideally need time to find his legs after an extended midseason break. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have been on a roll in his absence, winning six of their past seven games without him.
These factors made sense for Morant to come off the bench. The team can keep their rhythm flowing while Morant can get some in-game reps. It will help the team enter the playoffs with great chemistry and flow.
The Western Conference race is tight again, so the Grizzlies will need to be on their toes, starting from Round 1. They could face teams like the LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors or Dallas Mavericks in the opening round. Despite the regular-season struggles of these teams, it could be an uphill task to prevail against them in a playoff setting.
Nevertheless, with Ja Morant healthy and the team in great rhythm after his inclusion in the starting lineup, the Memphis Grizzlies will enter most, if not all, matchups as the favorites.