Ja Morant has been on a journey of self-discovery over the past few weeks after a slew of troubles off the court has landed him in hot water with the NBA. For a bit, it looked like Morant would receive a far harsher punishment than the eight-game suspension he received from the NBA after he brandished a gun on Instagram live. But it seems like the young point guard has put that drama behind him after he made his triumphant return in a 130-125 Memphis Grizzlies victory against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Beyond the fact that Morant played well following his nine-game absence despite coming off the bench (17 points, five assists and two steals in 24 minutes of play), it seems like the controversies surrounding his name hasn't put a damper on the enthusiasm with which he plays the game.

Following the Grizzlies' victory, Ja Morant was back to his usual celebratory ways, this time holding his daughter Kaari while doing so. Not only did he hit the griddy, but he also referenced “Fresh Prince of Utah”, a song by one of his favorite rappers, NBA Youngboy.

“Say, “It's a parade inside my city, yeah,” Morant told his daughter.

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“It's a parade inside my city, yeah,” his daughter sang in quite the adorable manner as the Grizzlies point guard burst out laughing.

As a result of the drama the Grizzlies star has found himself in in recent weeks, this could very well prove to be yet another point of criticism for some pundits. In particular, Skip Bayless felt like “it was not a good sign” that Ja Morant is quoting rap lyrics. And to bring his daughter into all of this? Oh the horror of it all, Bayless must think.

Nonetheless, Ja Morant's electric playstyle and energy has always been contagious, and it's clear that the Grizzlies faithful takes after him as much as he takes after the city's culture of gritting and grinding. In fact, the Grizzlies faithful's love for him could not have been more evident after they showered him with applause when he checked into the game against the Rockets with 3:05 left in the first quarter.

The only hope now is that the 23-year old stays out of further trouble, especially with the postseason fast approaching.