It's safe to say Ja Morant doesn't agree with the characterization that his father bears responsibility for his once-resplendent NBA career losing much of its luster. In apparent response to a story from ESPN placing blame on Tee Morant for his off-court missteps over the past couple years, the Memphis Grizzlies superstar posted a photo on Instagram expressing continued support and admiration of his dad.

Morant's post comes in wake of a feature by ESPN's Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon chronicling his swift fall from the NBA's golden boy to perceived problem child. Though Morant's problematic behavior isn't laid solely at the feet of his dad, one Grizzlies source told ESPN Tee Morant been a “driving force” behind his son's recent turmoil.

“Tee has been a major driving force in all of this,” the 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.”

Ja Morant's past, present and future with Grizzlies

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant Grizzlies, Ja Morant suspension

Morant is suspended for the first 25 games of 2023-24 as a result of flashing a gun during an Instagram Live stream in May. That incident came on the heels of an eight-game ban the three-time All-Star faced last season for brandishing a gun while intoxicated at a nightclub just a couple months earlier. Morant and his friends and family have also been the subject of several allegedly violent interactions, and the Indiana Pacers last February accused someone in a car that included Morant of pointing a red laser at their team bus, which the Pacers feared came from the scope of a gun.

Morant has stayed out of the public eye since the league levied his latest suspension, only recently re-activating his previously hyper-active social media accounts and limiting who can interact with his posts. In early September, a video was released by Morant's friend showing him training while wearing t-shirts that read ‘gratitude,' ‘rebirth' and ‘accountability.'

Morant is allowed to practice and workout with Memphis while his suspension plays out, but is prohibited from attending any public team activities. The Grizzlies will have had plenty of time between the start of training camp and his anticipated return in mid-December to know whether Morant has made good on promises to chart a more positive path forward.

But even if that hope ultimately proves the case, don't expect Tee Morant to be anywhere other than at his son's side. Ja Morant, clearly, is still comfortable with the active role his dad plays in his career, media criticism be damned.