A lot can change in the NBA in a short period of time. A couple of seasons ago, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant had the entire basketball world in the palm of his hands. Although people still love Morant, his off-court controversies and inability to stay on the court, has swayed the perception of some, including one of his staunchest advocates, Kendrick Perkins.
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In the 2022-23 NBA season, the Grizzlies solidified themselves as one of the best young cores in the league by finishing the year as the second seed in a competitive Western Conference. Of course, the talent of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane played a big part. However, they wouldn’t have been able to reach such lengths without Morant leading the way.
Unfortunately, that success came with its own receipts. During an Instagram live stream, Morant appeared to flash a firearm. The league took immediate action, suspending the two-time All-Star for eight games. He would inexcusably end up making the mistake again, this time in the offseason. His punishment this time around was a 25-game suspension.
All of a sudden, Morant’s image came crashing down. Kendrick Perkins didn’t let Morant’s mistakes skew his entire perception of the 6-foot-2 guard. Nonetheless, he had to speak on the situation as a part of his job. Turns out his comments didn’t sit well with Grizzlies’ star.
“I was cool with Ja,” Perkins revealed on the Out The Mud podcast. “But when Ja started to get in trouble with some of his stuff off the court, I had to speak on it. Ja don’t really f*** with me no more.”
Perkins couldn’t believe Morant would switch up on him since what he was doing wasn’t out of the ordinary. Regardless, Perkins didn’t lose much sleep over Morant’s treatment of him. Instead, he reciprocated those emotions.
“In that type of situation, I don’t f*** with Ja. I f*** with his daddy, but I don’t f*** with Ja,” Perkins stated.
“The reason I’m so mad at you is because ESPN packed up for a week … to go do an all-access on y’all in Memphis. You f*** up, not only does that make you look bad, it makes me look bad. They recognized you because of me speaking highly of you,” Perkins declared.
Of course, it goes without mentioning Morant would’ve been must watch television without Perkins’ praise. However, ESPN’s acknowledgement of Morant and the Grizzlies may have acceleratted due to Perkins’ constantly bringing them up during the platform’s various programs.
Although the Grizzlies were able to make the playoffs last season, they haven’t looked like the team they once were. After trading away Desmond Bane, the pressure can continued to compound on Morant. If the superstar has any hopes of fulfilling the expectations he once had, this is the time to do so. Perhaps after, Perkins might have a change of heart.
