Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has been slowly regaining the momentum that he was riding as a future face of the NBA for a championship contender ever since his 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league (brandishing firearms in social media videos) in 2023. He’s getting close, as he’s also battling injury while his Grizzlies team is performing above expectations with a 28-15 record, good for third place in the Western Conference through the midpoint of the 82-game season.
Morant missed another game due to a foot injury, marking his 18th absence of the season. This puts him at risk of not meeting the league’s 65-game minimum requirement for end-of-season awards. It also is another setback that could affect the trajectory of his promising career.
Ja Morant Posts Photo Of Martin Luther King With Grills On MLK Day
No stranger to controversy, Morant followed up a monster dunk over Victor Wembanyama last week that broke the internet with a social media post on MLK Day that rubbed some fans the wrong way and seemed to move Morant back into the doghouse of public opinion for a minute.

Morant shared a photoshopped image of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. wearing dental grills. Some would find the photo amusing, and that was probably Morant’s intention, as everything on social media is designed to evoke a response. Just shouting out “the Prince of Peace” on his national holiday wouldn’t be enough for a guy who is addicted to the spotlight but doesn’t realize that his best pathway to the attention he seeks is on the court.
Soon after he posted it, some netizens found it disrespectful and took to social media to express their disappointment, throwing criticism about the posting at the NBA star, who’s averaging a smooth 21.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists this season.
Fans On Social Media Criticize Ja Morant For MLK Day Photoshop
Morant has not publicly addressed the backlash and probably won’t because comedy is in the eye of the beholder and not understanding the cultural significance or seriousness of MLK Day as it pertains to older generations is just his ignorance, not a crime.
“His ancestors disappointed smh,” a fan quipped.
“This dude cannot be real,” a fan commented.
“He ready for that ant belt,” another fan commented.
“No way that’s real?” a user wrote.
Morant’s career has been one of marvel and mishap. On the court, he’s electrifying and one of the game’s best attractions for sure. Off the court, he’s had his share of infractions here and there, that make it easy for some to bring his character into question.
“Bro this ain’t helping his image,” another one added.
Some fans related to the post and thought they had a better understanding of the message Morant attempted to get across by wearing the fronts. It could be considered a tribute to MLK, as one Facebook fan thought.
“Old Generation and New generation legends,” he said approvingly of the photo.
“I honestly don’t care man as long as he’s being himself it’s not a problem,” another supportive fan wrote.
One thing this situation proves is that Morant still has that effect on people. He’s still a mystery to many and considered one of the most unpredictable personalities the league has seen in some time.