Ja Morant injury update: Latest status of Grizzlies star ahead of game against Thunder (Dec. 28)

Ja Morant was ruled out for the Memphis Grizzlies matchup against the OKC Thunder on Sunday. The star point guard has been dealing with injuries this season, but the latest one appears to be more complex than the prior.

After leaving the Grizzlies' 132-124 win over the New Orleans Pelicans with a right shoulder injury, the 2022 Most Improved Player of the Year was ruled out for this game. He picked up the injury in the third quarter after crashing into a legal screen by Daniel Theis.

Right after the collision, Morant entered the locker room to get tested. He returned to the bench but didn't set foot on the court for the remainder of the game.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins announced they'd have a clear picture of Morant's situation in the next few days.

"Obviously, he took a nice shot there to the shoulder, but we'll get more of an evaluation in the next couple days," said Jenkins.

This is concerning for a player who suffered a torn labrum in the same shoulder about a year ago. Morant's season came to an end a handful of games after he returned from his infamous 25-game suspension.

Just this season, Morant had missed eight games with hip and pelvic muscle injuries before he returned to the court on Nov. 25. He dropped 22 points and 11 assists in a 123-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

In 20 games this season, Ja Morant averages 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists.

Fans react to Ja Morant's latest injury news

After learning about the latest on Ja Morant's injury, NBA fans shared their reactions on social media. Many lamented this event and speculated about how long he'd be inactive.

"So a month minimum on Ja?" a fan questioned.

"My Fantasy team is cooked asf now," another said.

Others said Morant was avoiding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

"Ducking the smoke lmao 😂😂. League was about to see how much better Shai is than ja so they had to call a last second audible," one fan wrote.

"He ducking Shai," another said.

The Memphis Grizzlies pose one of the most intriguing franchises in the NBA, but injuries have always bothered them. They had a diminished roster last season due to injuries, and the situation is looking very similar at this point.