Memphis Grizzlies Star Ja Morant Out for Season Due to Shoulder Injury; Surgery Confirmed

The Memphis Grizzlies have been dealt a severe blow as their star player, Ja Morant, will miss the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery, confirmed by the team on Monday night.

The injury occurred during a training session last Saturday when Morant suffered a subluxation in his right shoulder. This incident kept him out of the team's latest matchup against the Phoenix Suns, following which he underwent an MRI revealing a tear in the labrum, necessitating surgical intervention to rectify it.

While Morant is anticipated to make a full recovery for the start of the 2024-25 season, his absence poses a significant setback for the Grizzlies in the ongoing campaign.

Morant's presence on the court has been pivotal for the team, marking a record of 6 wins and 3 losses with him in the lineup, matching Memphis' total wins during his 25-game suspension at the season's outset. It's worth noting that Morant was disciplined for conduct detrimental to the league after an incident on Instagram Live where he displayed a firearm. This isn't the first time he's faced repercussions for such actions, as he served an eight-game suspension for a similar incident last season.

This unfortunate news compounds the absence of another key player in the Memphis squad: Steven Adams, who will miss the entire season following surgery during the preseason to repair the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his right knee, an injury that has sidelined him since January last year.

Morant, a two-time All-Star in the first season of a five-year, $197 million maximum contract extension, averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 assists in the nine games he played this season.

The Grizzlies currently sit at the 13th spot in the Western Conference with a record of 13 wins and 23 losses. The absence of Morant and Adams presents a significant challenge for the team, striving to maintain competitiveness on their path to the playoffs.

The news has shaken basketball enthusiasts, eagerly awaiting Morant's return for the next season while the team endeavors to overcome this obstacle in the ongoing season.