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Ja Morant's father, Tee Morant, has become a staple at Memphis Grizzlies games. Last season, Tee Morant and Karl Towns Sr, the father of Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns even had a friendly feud as their two sons battled it out in the playoffs. While Morant has reached global levels of superstardom, he and his father still have a very close relationship.
With the Memphis Grizzlies eager to keep the young star on the right path, Morant has continued to indicate that he's a changed man following last season's controversies. This offseason, Morant has continued to show how he's changed, notably wearing shirts with phrases like 'gratitude' to show his new outlook on life.
In a recent Instagram post, Ja Morant paid tribute to his father Tee Morant, who can be seen in the photo sitting and watching his son practice. What many NBA fans may not know is that Tee Morant, who went by Ronnie at the time, was actually a hooper himself.
In 1993 he, alongside Ray Allen, led Hillcrest High School to a South Carolina State Championship. In college, he competed at Claflin University, with aspirations to play as a professional. Now, as a proud parent of an NBA star, it's heartwarming to see Ja Morant pay tribute to his father. In an Instagram story post, he wrote:
"Keep LIVIN the dream OG. This hoopin shii started wit you, I just continued it"
Memphis Grizzlies insider claims Tee Morant has contributed to Ja Morant's off-court problems
Throughout Ja Morant's life, his dad has been a driving force in his passion for basketball. While Tee Morant didn't try to force his son into the basketball world, once he realized that Ja was in love with the game, he dedicated himself to helping his son achieve his dreams.
Unfortunately, recent claims have indicated that Tee Morant may also be having a negative impact on his son off the court. According to a report from ESPN, while Tee may not be influencing Morant's pistol-wielding controversies, he is entrenched in the superstar lifestyle.
ESPN quoted the anonymous insider, saying:
"'Tee has been a major driving force in all of this,' the source is quoted as saying. 'He never made the NBA, but this was his chance to live like he's an NBA superstar. That's been a problem from the beginning.'"
The source also claims that starting in the 2021-22 season, Ja Morant and his father would go out and enjoy the rockstar lifestyle, drinking at bars and strip clubs. The routine wasn't just a weekend getaway, however, the report indicates that the pair would go out even on nights before Ja Morant was scheduled to play games.
With a 25-game suspension on tap for Morant once the season starts, the hope among the Grizzlies organization is that he will stay on the right path. Whether or not that ends up being the case, of course, is entirely up to Ja Morant.
