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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant has finally re-joined his teammates following a lengthy suspension after the franchise initially sidelined him for two games due to his ongoing controversy. However, following a league investigation, NBA suspended Morant for an additional eight games as a disciplinary action. Nevertheless, the 2x All-Star is finally back on the court, and he was not alone. Present in the arena to give daddy much-needed support was Morant’s adorable little daughter Kaari, but her presence only increased fans’ skepticism about the Grizzlies star’s next move.

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Notably, the NBA star guard found himself under public scrutiny when he reportedly dangled a gun in front of the camera during an IG Live session. Morant’s actions have proven to be detrimental to the team’s championship aspirations. Although the Grizzlies won most of the game in Morant’s absence, he would have been sorely missed in the postseason had the suspension been longer.

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Young Kaari Morant hypes her dad up

Ja Morant made his comeback on Wednesday night for the game against the Houston Rockets. It ended up becoming a great night for the Grizzlies as they claimed their fourth consecutive victory. Morant dropped 17 points and four rebounds coming off the bench in his team’s 130-125 win. Following the game, fans witnessed an endearing moment between Morant and his daughter.

In a clip shared by House of Highlights, Morant was holding his daughter while giving a brief post-game interview on the court. After the reporter congratulated the Murray State alumna on the win, Morant asked his daughter to repeat his famous victory cry. This comes in shortly after Kaari was seen grooving to music on the courtside.

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READ MORE -?Ja Morant Finally Reveals Why He Went Live on Instagram With a Gun: ?I Pretty Much Was Trying to Be Free??

Both Morant and the reporter broke out in laughter as Kaari shouted, “It’s a parade inside my city, yeah!” For fans who are unaware, Morant is known to often quote the line from the song ‘Fresh Prince of Utah’ by NBA YoungBoy.

NBA fans express their skepticism toward Ja Morant

Despite gushing over Kaari’s cuteness, the NBA world was not too welcoming about the idea of Ja Morant involving his daughter. Anyone who is a Grizzlies fan would know that this is not the first time Kaari has made an appearance at her dad’s games. In fact, the three-year-old munchkin is pretty much used to the spotlight due to her frequent visits. However, fans couldn’t shake off the skepticism due to the circumstances that Morant was in. Several fans termed it as a PR stunt and expressed their displeasure about it. Given that it was Morant’s first game after the well-publicized gun controversy, social media users questioned Morant’s decision to involve Kaari in the interview. One fan wrote, “Poor kid. Doesn?t deserve it.” Whereas, another fan wrote, “Trying to do a 180 with his public image for sure.”

“Ja?s PR team clutch for this one”

“When all else fails. Bring the kids -The PR team”

“He brought her out so that he didn?t have to answer tough questions ?”

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“A+ PR move ?”

“PR team in full effect ?”

“Gets in trouble, first game back parades his daughter around??”

While several fans criticized Morant and his PR team for ‘involving his daughter’, others were simply in awe of Kaari’s cute attempt at imitating her father’s victory cry.

What are your thoughts on Morant’s adorable moment with his daughter? Let us know in the comments.

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Siyari Debbarma

895 Articles

Siyari Debbarma is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With over 700 articles under her belt, Siyari is an expert in providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the game. Her throwback article on Dennis Rodman's plea for help garnered more than 3.5 million page views, a testament to her skill as a writer and journalist. Siyari's expertise also extends to game coverage and lifestyle reporting on NBA players and their families. She brings a unique perspective to her articles, providing readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal lives of their favorite players. Her passion for basketball began when she started hooping in her senior year of school, and she has been a devoted fan of the game ever since. Although Siyari admires players irrespective of their teams, the Golden State Warriors hold a special place in her heart. She is a huge fan of iconic names such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, but her personal preferences have never swayed her from delivering detailed and impartial content to her readers. When she's not covering the latest NBA stories, Siyari indulges in her love of reading, with a particular fondness for books on history and culture. She also spends time with her adorable cats and dogs, who keep her company when she's away from the court.

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Pragya Vashisth

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