Ja Morant, Jimmy Butler, And The Joy Of Playing Basketball

If NBA fans think that they’ve seen this Ja Morant movie before, they can hardly be blamed.

It’s not just the fact that this extremely talented athlete has gotten himself into trouble for what feels like the umpteenth time. While supporters of the Memphis Grizzlies may have grown weary of Morant’s woes on and off the court, a recent sound bite from the 26-year-old guard may as well be the echo of a saga involving another disgruntled superstar.

When Morant made his return to the Grizzlies lineup last week, one reporter asked him a pointed question: Is Morant playing with the same joy, given that he has butted heads with his head coach, Tuomas Iisalo, and the Grizzlies front office?

“Uh, no,” he responded bluntly.

The mention of joy is perhaps not a coincidence. Just 10 months ago, Jimmy Butler was at the height of his conflict with the Miami Heat, who had refused to extend his contract beyond the 2024–25 season. Frustrated at how his dynamic with Heat executives and coaches had soured, Butler dropped the J word during a post-game media session in early January.

“I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball,” Butler told reporters then. “Wherever that may be, we'll find out here pretty soon.”

What, then, gives joy to NBA players? More than the nine-figure contracts that they earn from their time in the league, it’s clear that they’re also after the priceless salary of respect. Morant was reportedly called out by Iisalo in the Grizzlies locker room for his “leadership and effort.” Butler, who had led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances, felt that he wasn’t being valued by team president Pat Riley and the rest of the Miami braintrust.

This is not to say that Morant and Butler have never done anything to compromise the respect that they crave. Both players have shown a fiery temperament on more than one occasion, and Morant has been infamously suspended for displaying a gun on social media.

In other words, fans need to remember that these larger-than-life personalities on television are human: prone to emotional impact, vulnerable to errors big and small. Ja Morant and Jimmy Butler are in constant pursuit of rich contracts and shiny trophies, but neither of them can deny that they are fuelled by a joy that is more profound than any material prize.