In a comprehensive piece from Jason Quick of The Athletic (subscription required), new Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant talked about his desire to focus on basketball and get past his off-court errors and the narratives that resulted from them:
On Saturday, while wearing a crisp, new black Portland Trail Blazers polo shirt, Morant talked of fresh starts, a rejuvenated and nature-loving version of himself and the desire to change narratives.
He says he is not that bad guy some see.
“I’m Ja,” he
said… “I feel like over the years, I’ve grown a lot,” Morant said. “You know, I learned a lot. My mindset changed. … I go into things differently now. So, I just feel like I’m more mature. I’m just ready to work, y’all.”
Morant was suspended multiple times by the NBA in 2023 for brandishing a gun in social media videos, again in 2025 for pantomiming a gun on the court, then was suspended by his previous team the Memphis Grizzlies in November of 2025 for “conduct detrimental to the team” after a disagreement with coaching staff.
Now, Morant just wants to get down to basketball business:
“I mean, obviously, I’ve done what I’ve done in the past, but it’s been addressed and handled already, so I don’t see why, years later, that’s still the topic, when nothing happened since. You know?” Morant said. “And I felt like if I was that guy, y’all wouldn’t be talking to me now. I wouldn’t be here.”
Among Morant’s plans for being with his new team: getting outside, and having a fresh start:
“I don’t know if y’all been paying attention to me lately, but I’ve been kind of into nature,” Morant said. “So, I feel like (coming to Oregon) is a bonus for me… Just being grateful for, you know, being alive … the things I do have, my family, and to now have a, you know, a fresh start,” Morant said. “It was just mind-clearing.”
Morant also insinuated that he will wear the number 1 because the Blazers have “other plans” for jersey number 12, insinuating that the team may eventually retire the number in honor of LaMarcus Aldridge (note: the Blazers have also blocked off Brandon Roy’s former number 7 and others, and it doesn’t necessarily indicate an immediate or pending jersey retirement).
The 26-year-old Morant has career averages of 22.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 31.7 minutes a game over seven seasons.
