Grizzlies’ star Morant apologizes for not wearing mask
The biggest change between Ja Morant’s first and second NBA training camp? Learning how to navigate his growing fame.
“I tell my family I’d trade my privacy and freedom any day with them,” Morant said Wednesday. “Because I can’t go out and get something to eat or anything because people will recognize me. I feel like that was just the hard part.”
The 21-year-old Grizzlies guard found out the hard way when he was reportedly shown on video at a event last weekend at a club in Hickory Hill. The event drew hundreds of people and was criticized by the Shelby County Health Department for lack of masks and social distancing.
Morant, the league’s reigning Rookie of the Year, took responsibility for being there. He said he and his teammates will hold each other accountable during this NBA season as unlike the end of the last one, they won’t be inside a bubble.
“I should’ve had a mask on throughout the party, but I’m still learning all the rules and protocols that the NBA has handed to us this year,” he said. “Our coaches and our people in the organization constantly remind us of everything, every day.”
It’s reminded him his world has changed in a year. Instead of looking to players like Jae Crowder as mentors, he and Jaren Jackson Jr. are the ones greeting and welcoming the team’s four rookies via social media.
Instead of being the precocious rookie, he’s a team leader in his second season. That means dealing with more responsibility but also continuing to defend his team against any perceived slight.
He took aim at ESPN’S Real Plus-minus projections that had the Grizzlies finishing 10th in the Western Conference. Although they projected a higher win total (36) than last season (34), Morant took it as another sign of disrespect.
“I feel like as of now, we’re used to it. I feel like there’s nothing new for us. We just got to go out and handle business,” he said.
Over the offseason, Morant worked out at IMG Academy in Florida and added five more pounds of muscle on top of the 12 pounds he added when last season was suspended. He also worked on his shooting with new Grizzlies assistant coach Blake Ahearn. When asked what he needed to improve, he said everything. It’s one of the ways he’s endeared himself to his teammates as he’s taken on a greater leadership role.
“He expects a lot out of himself and that’s what you love about him,” Tyus Jones said. “He’s never satisfied, he never settles, he’s continuing to work and grind. He wants to be even better than he was last year.”
But there are already reminders things are different than in the Orlando bubble. The Golden State Warriors delayed camp for a day after two players tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
While the Grizzlies enjoyed more freedom in the bubble, it’s different in Memphis where they’ll have to take more caution. It’s another change in Morant’s second year, but as his star has grown, he’s learning to be mindful of all that comes with it.
That includes how he navigates the pandemic, his bigger celebrity status and higher expectations.
“We try to do our best, whether its getting tested or everybody wearing their masks around. We just can’t be the team that has positive COVID cases,” Morant said.