Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant is set to miss the rest of the season due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The young star served a 25-game suspension for flashing a gun during an Instagram livestream, and now, just ten games into his return, he’s done for the season. Retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas had a wild take on Morant’s injury. On the Gil’s Arena podcast, he said:
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“This is called Karma. Not for Ja Morant. This is karma for the league. How many games did he miss without pay? 25 without pay. You got 50 with pay. He can just sit home and enjoy.”
Arenas joked that Morant could sit at home and hit the Griddy without worrying about his bank balance. The Grizzlies superstar’s 25-game suspension cost him $7.6 million in salary. He’s set to earn $25.9 million after playing only ten games this season.
Arenas then warned Morant about the devastating effects of his injury. He said:
“Torn labrum. That’s a tough injury. You have to be careful with it. Caron Butler had a labrum tear [in his hip]. IT (Isaiah Thomas) had a labrum tear [in his hip].”
Caron Butler and Isaiah Thomas were stars before suffering labrum injuries. Butler was a consistent scorer and averaged close to 20 points per game. He suffered a labrum tear in his hip in 2008, and his career nosedived soon after. He struggled to stay healthy, and his average dropped from 21 points per game to 17. His output and playing time declined steadily before he retired in 2016.
Isaiah Thomas enjoyed an MVP-caliber season in 2016-17 with the Boston Celtics. He was averaging 28.9 points and 5.9 assists when he suffered a labrum injury towards the end of the regular season. He played in the playoffs and led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, only one and a half games into the series, Thomas was ruled out with a hip strain. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip to fix his labrum impediment. Since the surgery, he has played only 109 games for seven teams in five seasons.
Given these two examples, it is hard to deny Arenas’ words to Ja Morant. Hopefully, the Memphis Grizzlies star chooses to listen to the former NBA player and avoid suffering the same fate.
Ja Morant reacts to season-ending injury as Grizzlies continue to fight without superstar
After learning that he’d have to undergo season-ending surgery to fix his torn labrum, Ja Morant put up a post on X, formerly called Twitter, writing, “Damn dawg.” He deleted it before posting a blue heart emoji:
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 9, 2024
The Grizzlies were enduring a torrid campaign without Morant. They started the season 5-20 without their superstar guard and 6-3 with him in the lineup. They lost the only game that he sat out after his suspension ended. However, the positive run that the team enjoyed with Morant in the lineup has seemingly done wonders for the team’s confidence. They are 2-0 with wins over the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks since Morant was diagnosed with a torn labrum.
Morant’s brief return to the team and the momentum that they’ve built off it could fuel the Grizzlies to a few more wins than expected this season. They are well off the pace in the race for a spot in the playoffs. However, the team can play freely without any pressure and build momentum ahead of next season when Morant returns healthy.
