Ja Morant's last chance: As NBA star returns to the court TONIGHT after his 25-game suspension, DailyMail.com takes a look at the checkered past of one of the sport's most tortured players – and why he MUST prove it he has changed

In the span of 18 months, Ja Morant has gone from a 22-year-old star on the rise to a 24-year-old eyeing his last chance in the NBA.

A series of incidents have plagued the start of the point guard's NBA career, with the latest (a second flashy Instagram video) bringing his life in the league to an abrupt halt with a 25-game suspension.

But with the Grizzlies losing 116-97 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, making Game No. 25 marked, Morant is set to make his long-awaited return to the field tonight.

And Memphis and the NBA will hope Morant has learned his lesson, otherwise his future could be in jeopardy due to “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous” behavior.

Morant's return marks a second – or rather third – chance, one he deserves, after deliberation, meetings with Commissioner Adam Silver and what appears to be genuine contrition, but which may also be his last.

But Morant hadn't always been the type of player expected to claw his way to redemption. On paper, he was reportedly the perfect draftee without a single warning sign.

“He was the consummate coachable teammate, a choir boy,” said one veteran NBA scout ESPN. 'Under-hired. I didn't have many scholarship offers. Played with a chip on his shoulder. Glowing things. Nothing. There was nothing at all.'

But between the time Morant was drafted out of Murray State by the Grizzlies in 2019 and March of this year, Morant seemingly spiraled out of control as his fall from grace ended in a Colorado strip club.

Morant had reportedly been a model citizen in the Memphis community, described as “polite” by local business owners, but the 2022 All-Star Game seemingly marked a turning point.

“He went to that first All-Star Game,” a team source told ESPN, “and then the alligators got him.”

After being named an NBA All-Star starter in February 2022, the former prospect became an NBA superstar who struggled with the overload of fame and began down a path of troubling behavior, raising concerns within the Grizzlies organization and the competition, which they apparently failed to do. to deal with.

Morant, despite being underage, would reportedly go drinking, even on nights before games, and would reportedly show up to the arena hungover or late.

However, the Grizzlies reportedly failed to instill discipline or control the situation, with a source telling ESPN that the organization enabled Morant's behavior.

And with 's**t being swept under the carpet', it didn't take long for the problems to escalate beyond underage drinking.

During an altercation on July 22, 2022, at a Memphis mall, Morant and his friends threatened a vendor and the head of security after his mother became involved in a heated altercation with the staff member.

Then, just a week later, there was another altercation, this time at Morant's own home, where he and a friend allegedly punched a then 17-year-old boy, Josh Holloway, during a pickup game, leading to an ongoing argument . civil lawsuit.

A month later, Morant was accused of threatening a high school student at his sister's volleyball game after she got into an argument in the stands.

In January of this year, after an away game in Memphis, the Indiana Pacers claimed that a red laser, possibly attached to a gun, was pointed at them from an SUV in which Morant was traveling.

With the post-game showdown, the Grizzlies seemed to finally reach a boiling point.

Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman and head coach Taylor Jenkins met with Morant to discuss his troubling behavior and its impact on the team.

It's a fine line for sports team organizations when dealing with a superstar like Morant.

But Memphis may have let one too many troubling incidents pass before voicing his concerns or offering support, as after the January sit-down, Morant's behavior not only continued, but worsened.

On March 3, Morant flashed a gun on an Instagram Live video at Shotgun Willie's, a strip club in Glendale, Colorado, after a loss to the Denver Nuggets.

The move sparked severe backlash when the NBA imposed an eight-game suspension on Morant, who checked himself into a private counseling center in Colorado.

But eight games were apparently not enough to get the message across. Just ten weeks later, Morant was caught again in a firearms incident.

This time, having not learned his lesson, Morant was caught brandishing the gun in a car on friend Davonte Pack's Instagram Live.

Once again Morant faced a setback, this time bigger than ever. It was the second such incident in three months and the league took time to consider the punishment before handing Silver a 25-match ban.

The NBA commissioner called Morant's behavior “alarming and disturbing” and “reckless and irresponsible,” noting that the star is a role model for many children.

The ban forced Morant to miss the start of the season, in which the Grizzlies finished 6-19 without him.

But after putting basketball in the backseat, as Silver had emphasized, Morant's return has arrived and he must seize it.

According to The Commercial Appeal, the Grizzlies reportedly parted ways with second-year center Kenneth Lofton Jr., clearing the way for Morant to return tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans.

And after head coach Jenkins said he expects Morant to be “full in Game 26.” But which Morant will show up?

“I really feel like I can't get away from Ja,” Morant said last week. “I feel like that's the most important thing: not trying to lose myself or be someone I'm not or act completely different, but the change will be my decision-making and how I approach my day-to-day life as an NBA player . , a father, a role model, a brother, a son, and just focusing on being the best that I can be.”

And he doesn't have to revise his entire personality; Morant just needs to showcase the “chorus boy” player who drafted him into the league.

Morant heads into tonight's game against the Pelicans with the possibility of redemption. A second chance to prove he can be the NBA superstar his talent promised.

“I can't make anyone believe me, apart from my actions,” he added. “So if I answer this question with just words, it probably won't mean anything to anyone.”

But actions are all he needs. Morant must provide entertainment on the field and leave the drama behind him.

Morant has a chance at the ultimate redemption: helping his teammates.

After beating the Grizzlies early in the season, Memphis went 6-19 thanks to Morant's suspension, while also dealing with a slew of injuries.

The Grizzlies, who were the Western Conference's No. 2 seed last season, are now tied for the second-worst record in the West.

“It's definitely a guilt trip,” said Morant, who led the Grizzlies with 26.2 points and 8.1 assists per game last season.

“Obviously I'm not on the floor and obviously nobody likes to lose, so our job is to go out there and win. I obviously take full responsibility for that, even though I'm not on the floor. The decisions I made prevented me from competing with my team.”

Still, he now has a chance to erase at least some of that guilt by focusing on performing on the court — and saving his NBA career in the process.

His agent, Jim Tanner, said in a statement to ESPN that he hopes “people will give him a chance to move forward” and that fans, the league, coaches and his fellow players should do the same.

Morant is a young player in the spotlight who has lost his way due to the excess of fame.

But now that he's older and wiser, and with the support of the league and the organization, Morant should be better equipped to handle the pressure.

He deserves another chance, but having already had a first and second chance, Morant can't afford to waste what could be his last.