Damian Lillard denies liking tweet saying Grizzlies embattled star Ja Morant is not ‘hood’

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has denied liking a tweet from a fan that suggests Memphis Grizzlies level guard Ja Morant is making an attempt to “act hood.”

Morant has been suspended indefinitely by the Grizzlies after making “tough choices and poor decisions,” head coach Taylor Jenkins stated Sunday. The All-Star was seen brandishing a gun whereas at a nightclub in a livestream on social media this previous Saturday, whichg is the most recent incident involving the South Carolina native. 

A fan of Lillard’s let off a tweet evaluating the 2 ballers. 

Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives in opposition to the Houston Rockets within the first quarter on the Moda Center on February 26, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

“Notice how Dame is definitely from the hood however he don’t go round performing like Ja Morant who’s from the suburbs making an attempt to behave hood. Never change king @Dame_Lillard,” the person wrote. 

An alleged screenshot from the Instagram account “nojumper” displaying Lillard’s likes on Twitter shows the Blazers guard liking it. However, Lillard tried to nip it within the bud. 

“Let em lie,” he wrote. “F— I appear like liking that. I don’t care who’s and isn’t from the “trenches” …”

JA MORANT INCIDENT CAME AFTER PLAYERS-ONLY MEETING ABOUT SHOWING ‘BETTER DISCIPLINE’ ON ROAD: REPORT

Police are trying into the incident on Saturday on the nightclub, probing to see if Morant broke any legal guidelines. 

The Athletic’s Shams Charania additionally reported that Memphis had a players-only assembly with heart Steven Adams taking cost previous to the Saturday night time incident. 

“There was a players-only assembly the place Steven Adams, their veteran heart, he spoke out about how the workforce wants to point out higher self-discipline on the highway. How they should avoid going out after they’re on the highway,” Charania stated on Bally Sports’ “The Rally.”

Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies brings the ball up courtroom through the sport in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans at FedExForum on December 31, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

“From these within the room, when Steven Adams spoke out, they knew precisely who he was directing this to — it was nobody apart from Ja Morant. Clearly, nonetheless, Ja Morant went out within the early hours of Saturday. That video was posted with a gun and there’s questions. Was the gun his? Did he have a license? Was he touring with the gun? Where did the gun come from? Was it a buddy’s? How many different weapons had been there? Is it even authorized to hold a weapon within the space they had been at?”

There isn’t any timetable for Morant to return to the workforce, Jenkins talked about. He goes to overlook no less than the subsequent two video games. 

JA MORANT HAS MADE ‘DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND POOR CHOICES,’ NO TIMETABLE TO RETURN, COACH SAYS

Morant issued an apology following the Grizzlies’ choice to droop him. 

“I take full accountability for my actions final night time,” Morant stated. “I’m sorry to my household, teammates, coaches, followers, companions, the town of Memphis and your entire Grizzlies group for letting you down. I’m going to take a while away to get assist and work on studying higher strategies of coping with stress and my total well-being.”

Mar 3, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) appears on within the second quarter in opposition to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

“He’s positively embracing the errors that he’s made, however solely time will inform. We’re going to assist him, and we’re going to carry him accountable to make these modifications,” Jenkins stated, declining to put out the precise steps Morant wanted to perform to return to the Grizzlies.

“We love him, we would like what’s finest for him, we assist him. It’s going to be a tough course of, however we’ve bought a terrific group to get by this.”

There was additionally a Jan. 29 incident after the Grizzlies performed the Indiana Pacers, the place the latter claims a automobile, which Morant was in, was pointing purple lasers into the workforce’s bus. They claimed the laser was coming from a firearm. An incident on the courtroom through the sport involving Morant’s father, Tee, and his buddy, Davonte Pack, led to Pack being banned from dwelling video games for a 12 months as nicely.

Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates with teammates after a 134-124 victory over the Utah Jazz at Moda Center on January 25, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Morant and Pack are also concerned in a civil lawsuit introduced after an incident this previous summer season during which a 17-year-old alleged they assaulted him at Morant’s dwelling. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office stated in January that it was “conscious of the incident, and after cautious overview of the info, determined that there was not sufficient proof to proceed with a case.”