Ja Morant has shut down trade rumors with a tattoo of Memphis Grizzlies at his back.
Ja Morant wants everyone to relax. The rumors can take a seat. The trade machines can power down. The conspiracy threads can log off. Ja says he is not leaving the Memphis Grizzlies. And his reason is very simple. He has a tattoo of the team on his back. Yes, a tattoo. Case closed.
In a league where loyalty changes faster than hairstyles, Ja brought ink to the conversation. Not a press release, not a long speech. Just permanent body art. According to Ja, you do not get a tattoo like that and then pack your bags. That would be awkward. Very awkward.
“I got a logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be,” said Morant, referring to a tattoo of the team’s logo. Morant contributed 24 points and 13 assists in the win over the Magic after missing the last six games with a right calf injury.
If anyone here knows me, they should know that I’m a very loyal guy.”
“If anyone here knows me, they should know that I’m a very loyal guy,” added the Grizzlies’ wayward point guard. “Just being able to play basketball is very therapeutic for me. I know what I’m capable of on the court and I was able to show it tonight. It was very important. Going away and representing Memphis is what’s important.”
He even extended a hand to his team’s coach, Tuomas Iisalo, when analysing his team’s triumph in London: “It was the coach’s credit, he put us in the best positions possible and then, simply, me being Ja, I ended up making the right play, whether it was passing or scoring,” he said. “We got into a great rhythm early on, got a big lead, and after that, it’s just about controlling the game”.
Will this stop future rumors? Probably not. This is the NBA. If Ja has a bad week, people will still say he wants out. If the Grizzlies lose a few games, someone will mention New York or Los Angeles. That is how it goes.
But for now, Ja has spoken. Memphis is home. The Grizzlies are family and his back is proof.
So unless Ja plans on switching teams and explaining his tattoo at every beach vacation, he is staying put. At least in his mind. And honestly, that might be the most Ja Morant answer ever.
