Ja Morant has expressed displeasure with his basketball experience of late. Justin Ford / Getty Images

Barely two weeks into a season is early for player-coach tension, but the Memphis Grizzlies are already answering questions about the relationship between their star and head coach.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant returned from his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team on Monday in the Grizzlies’ 114-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Morant had 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists against the Pistons, shooting 5-of-16 from the field.

Morant was suspended for postgame comments after last Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in which he appeared not to be his usual aggressive self on the court and replied with “go ask the coaching staff” to questions about the team.

Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo didn’t address the issues before Monday’s game, calling them “an internal matter.”

Morant was asked whether things had been “resolved” after the game. He told reporters: “Yeah, they told y’all that, right? … Obviously, they can’t go and tell y’all something I didn’t say.”

On whether he has a good relationship with the franchise, Morant said, “If I didn’t have a good relationship with them, I wouldn’t talk to them at all.”

Ja Morant regarding what happened Friday and the suspension.

On if things have been resolved: “Yeah, they (Tuomas Iisalo) told y’all that right?”

Also says “If I didn’t have a good relationship, I wouldn’t talk to them at all” regarding his relationship with the franchise. pic.twitter.com/BaoNz7gTOp

— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) November 4, 2025

When asked whether he was playing with the same “joy,” Morant said no. When asked how to get it back, he said, “We’ll see.”

A couple of years ago, such a situation didn’t seem possible. Morant is one of the league’s most talented players. At one point, he was viewed by some as the best young American star in the NBA, as international players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo had emerged as the faces of the league. The Grizzlies were the No. 2 seed in the West in 2023 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Although it marked a disappointing ending to the season, there was reason for optimism with a core of Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.

But since back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023, Morant has dealt with injuries and was suspended twice in 2023 by the NBA for displaying guns, totaling 33 games. Last week’s suspension was his first from the team. If the Grizzlies (3-5) start winning, this will be a blip in the season. If the tension simmers publicly, trade rumors involving Morant will become more common.

Nov 4, 2025

Connections: Sports Edition

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms

Find the hidden link between sports terms

Jason Jones is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Culture. Previously, he spent 16 years at the Sacramento Bee, covering the Sacramento Kings and Oakland Raiders. He’s a proud Southern California native and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley Follow Jason on Twitter @mr_jasonjones