Ja Morant's father ejected near the end of the Grizzlies' loss to the Thunder

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Ja Morant’s father, Tee Morant, was asked to leave the building in the closing minutes of the Memphis Grizzlies' 125-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

“The fan continued to repeat overtly disrespectful statements about the integrity of the officiating crew, so as the crew chief I approached security and asked that he be removed,” crew chief Josh Tiven told a pool reporter. “There were very specific, overtly disrespectful comments made about the integrity of the crew.”

Tiven said he was aware the fan being ejected was Ja Morant's father.

Tee Morant was sitting in a courtside seat when security walked up to his seat. He was escorted from the floor with 2:10 left and the Thunder up 122-107.

“He probably got kicked out, so I didn't,” Ja Morant said after the game. “Probably complaining about something to the ref.”

Asked if he or any of his players requested Ja Morant's father be removed, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said: “Not to my knowledge. No.”

Ja Morant had 16 points in the game, going 6 of 19 from the floor, and added seven assists.

“I kind of knew it because (one official) started getting mad when I asked him a question, and didn't want to talk,” the younger Morant said. “But we ain't gonna go there.”

This is not the first time a member of Morant's entourage has been kept from Grizzlies home game. Morant's friend Davonte Pack was prohibited from attending games for a year after a Jan. 29, 2023, incident when he confronted members of the Indiana Pacers during the game from his seat along the sidelines.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba