Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant brought plenty of attitude into his first matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, his highly anticipated reunion ended prematurely after a left hamstring injury forced him out of Thursday's game.
Morant appeared eager to make a statement against the franchise that traded him during the offseason. His competitive mood was evident before the opening tip.
The former Grizzlies star was reportedly allowed to select Portland's warm-up music. He chose NBA YoungBoy's “Cross Me,” as shared by NBACentral on X.
The selection added another layer of intrigue to an already emotional matchup. Morant spent seven seasons with Memphis before being traded to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
His antics continued once the game started. After scoring against Cedric Coward, Morant pointed toward the defender and declared, “He's food.”
The trash-talking moment circulated on social media, capturing Morant's confidence against his former teammate.
Unfortunately for Portland, the entertaining reunion took an unexpected turn. Morant suffered a left hamstring injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
He finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and three assists across 23 minutes. Memphis eventually defeated Portland 124-103, handing the Blazers their first loss of the season.
Article Continues BelowThe Grizzlies improved to 5-0 behind rookie Cam Boozer's triple-double. Meanwhile, Portland fell to 3-1 despite Deni Avdija's 24-point performance.
Morant had entered the matchup with added motivation, making the injury particularly disappointing.
Portland will next face the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Morant's availability remains uncertain as the team awaits further clarity on his hamstring.