Ja Morant’s mother won’t go to Game 5 between the Grizzlies and Jazz in Utah after facing racial harassment from fans earlier in the series.
A contingent of Ja Morant’s family members will attend Wednesday night’s Game 5 in Salt Lake City.
Morant’s mother won’t be one of them.
Jamie Morant plans to stay home in Memphis after being racially abused during her last visit to Vivint Arena for Game 2 between the Grizzlies and Jazz.
“She said her anxiety couldn’t take it,” Morant’s dad, Tee, said to ESPN.
Morant’s parents were the subject of abuse by three Jazz fans who have been banned indefinitely from the arena.
In an attempt to make up for the incident, Jazz owner Ryan Smith is giving members of Morant’s family courtside seats for Game 5, along with lodging and a car service.
It’s understandable that Morant’s mother doesn’t want to go back to a place where she faced abuse, despite the welcome gesture from Smith.
Ja Morant’s mother still isn’t comfortable going to a game in Utah
Game 5 will be a huge one for Morant and the Grizzlies. They won Game 1 in Salt Lake City, but they have fallen in three straight games. Now they face elimination with the series at 1-3. It’s win or go home on Wednesday.
Morant has been consistently strong throughout the series. He’s averaging 31 points per game with 4.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists. However, his 38.1 percent shooting from the field on Monday didn’t help as Memphis tried to grab a victory on their home court. He’ll have to find a way to rattle the Jazz on their home floor instead.
Utah has kept the Grizzlies at bay thanks to Donovan Mitchell’s 28 points per game, Rudy Gobert’s dominance on the boards and Mike Conley’s ability to pull the strings at point guard.