Ja Morant’s career has been a mix of jaw-dropping highlights and frustrating absences. Over six seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies star has played in just 307 of 492 possible regular-season games. That total took another hit this week as the team announced Morant suffered a left ankle sprain on October 5th — the latest setback in a career already marked by injuries and suspensions.
Morant missed 32 games last season and has been sidelined for 59 games over the past two years, including 25 due to an NBA suspension. Despite those challenges, Morant entered the 2024–25 campaign with optimism, telling reporters at Grizzlies Media Day that his goal was to “play in all 82 regular-season games this year.”
Unfortunately, that goal will have to wait. The explosive guard — often described as a “walking highlight reel” — was ruled out of the team’s preseason opener. According to team officials, Morant is listed as week-to-week, leaving Memphis to turn to Scottie Pippen Jr. to handle point guard duties in the meantime.
When healthy, Morant remains one of the league’s most electric players. In the 2024–25 season, he averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 50 games — numbers that remind everyone why his presence is so vital to the Grizzlies’ success.