Morant tells Grizz ‘keep grinding’ in his absence

DALLAS — Injured superstar Ja Morant spoke up during the Memphis Grizzlies‘ emotional team meeting Tuesday morning in the wake of the news that he needs season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.

The gist of Morant’s message to his Memphis teammates?

“Stay locked in and keep grinding,” Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane told ESPN before Tuesday night’s road game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins described the Grizzlies as “gutted” and “devastated” for Morant, who played only nine games this season after being suspended for the first 25. The Grizzlies learned soon after their flight landed in Dallas on Monday evening that an MRI on Morant’s shoulder revealed an underlying labral tear.

“Everyone just feels for Ja,” Jenkins said. “I mean, they know how much work he’s been putting in this season, obviously what he’s done since he’s come back just within the last couple of weeks. But these guys really care for each other and they really care for Ja, and obviously they know how much he cares for them and how he showed so much support even when he was out the first 25 games. But we just kept talking about, ‘Hey, we’re going to be there for you. You got to be there for us.'”

Morant’s teammates and Memphis staff members vowed to support him throughout his recovery from the surgery.

“Just be his brother,” power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. told ESPN. “There’s no science to it. Just be there for him. He’s got a great support system around him. His circle’s tight, so he’s going to be great.”

Added Bane: “We’re wrapping our arms around him. We’re here for him.”

Morant, who attended the game in Dallas but did not speak to the media, traveled and practiced with the team while serving his suspension, which was handed down by NBA commissioner Adam Silver after the two-time All-Star brandished a firearm during an Instagram Live video for the second time in a span of two months. Though Morant will not be able to take part in basketball activities the rest of the season, Jenkins said the hope is that he will continue to travel with the team once medically cleared to do so following surgery.

The Grizzlies got off to a 6-19 start during Morant’s suspension. He returned with a spectacular 34-point performance to lead a comeback road win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 19, capping the rally with the first game-winning buzzer-beater of his career, and averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 assists in the nine games he played. Memphis went 6-3 with Morant in the lineup.

Morant suffered a subluxation of the shoulder during a Saturday workout and sat out Sunday’s road win over the Phoenix Suns. Following ongoing soreness and instability, Morant underwent the MRI that revealed the labral tear, a massive blow to Memphis’ hopes of salvaging the season.

“This is going to be around us the rest of the season — not having him,” Jenkins said. “As disappointing as that is and devastating as it is in this moment, we’ve got to find the positivity moving forward. Keep his spirits up, keep our spirits up. That’s what we’ve always done.”