Report: Teammate had warning for Ja Morant prior to controversial video

“There was a players-only meeting recently where Steven Adams, their veteran center, spoke out about how the team needs to show better discipline on the road, how they need to stay away from going out while on the road,” Charania said. “I’m told those in the room, when Steven Adams spoke out, they knew exactly who he was directing this to. It was no one other than Ja Morant.”

It is not clear how recently the meeting took place, but Charania makes it clear that it happened before Morant went out after Friday’s loss in Denver. Adams, the most experienced player on the Memphis roster, may not have foreseen this exact issue coming, but it is clear that the 29-year-old harbored at least some concerns about the matter.

Notably, the Grizzlies are just 12-20 on the road this season, compared to 26-5 at home.

Some have made the argument that a lack of veteran leadership in the Memphis locker room helped exacerbate Morant’s problems. Ultimately, at least one player tried to address the issue, but it simply did not work.