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The 2023-24 NBA season is less than a month away, and one of the league’s best players won’t be suiting up.
Ja Morant will just be starting his 25-game suspension, and the Memphis Grizzlies have brought in Derrick Rose, who looks to get more playing time and provide a mentorship role to Morant.
However, during Media Day, Rose let it be known that while he may be Morant’s veteran, he has no interest in hand-holding him, and his only goal is victory.
“Look, I’m not here to babysit. I’m not here to babysit, micromanage, or anything. I’m not here to be a plant, a plant in the locker room, or any of that. I’m here to help guys win,” Rose said. “I’m not here to steal minutes. I’m not here to steal nobody’s job. I’m here to win. Once again. I’m here to show that I still have a lot left in the tank.”
Rose acknowledges that people have compared their explosive and athletic styles of play and just wants to help the team. He even reached out to former Memphis guard Tony Allen to get in contact with Morant or his father Tee to get to know each other.
“I just told him I’m not here to babysit you. I’m not here to follow you around. I’m not here to cheerlead… I’m here to push you,” Rose said. “I’m very fortunate to be in a situation where a lot of people look at his game and they kind of compare our games together. But he’s on a whole other level. It’s my job to push him and let him know in times whenever he is being reckless, to calm down.”
Morant’s serving a 25-game suspension after flashing a gun on Instagram Live twice. The first offense came on March 4 when he was partying at a Colorado nightclub while on an NBA road trip, brandishing a gun on camera.
He was kept away from the team for at least six games and eventually met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after exiting a counseling treatment. Then, just two months later, he flashed a gun again while sitting in a car with a friend.
As not to distract from the NBA Finals, after the Denver Nuggets were declared champions, Adam Silver handed down the 25-game suspension, ensuring Morant and the Grizzlies would feel his absence well into the season.
Here’s how X (formerly known as Twitter) reacted to news of the suspension:
Derrick Rose Says He Joined Memphis Grizzlies To Win, Not “Babysit” Ja Morant was originally published on cassiuslife.com
