With Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant set to play his first game back after 236 days and following his 25-game suspension, his father Tee Morant and longtime friend Davonte Pack are there to support him.

As Morant took the Smoothie King Center court on Tuesday to prepare for their showdown with the New Orleans Pelicans, his dad and friend were spotted watching courtside.

It is particularly interesting to see the two guys from Ja Morant's circle considering how much they have been criticized over the past few months amid the troubles that the Grizzlies guard faced.

For one, Tee Morant was actually blamed for his son's conduct off the court, with a previous report noting that he was a “driving force” behind all the issues of Ja.

“Tee moved to Memphis a week after his son was drafted and enjoyed the spoils of his son's rise to superstardom, hosting VIP events and parties at nightclubs, with television cameras often panning toward him,” Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported last October.

“Tee's presence, and the spate of incidents, dismayed some in the Grizzlies organization, team sources said. ‘Tee has been a major driving force in all of this,' one team source said. ‘He never made the NBA, but this was his chance to live like he's an NBA superstar. That's been a problem from the beginning.'”

As for Davonte Pack, many might remember him for being escorted out of the arena during a Grizzlies game against the Indiana Pacers last January. Pack has also been involved in a number of issues alongside Morant, including being arrested for the altercation that happened in the Memphis superstar's home.

There will be plenty of eyes on Morant in his return, and sure enough, every move of his (on and off the court) will be scrutinized and put under the microscope. Hopefully, both Tee and Davonte will be better influences for the Grizzlies scorer and avoid any issue as Ja looks to steer his career back to the right direction.