A leaked transcript reveals that Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant called NBA referee Ray Acosta a “ho.”
Morant called Acosta a “ho” while talking to a reporter by the name of Tony Sellars. His comments came after Acosta ejected him from a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder back in December of 2022 for what he said to fans who were sitting courtside.
SELLARS: Just kind of go over in your mind what went down in that 15 second period. You were upset about the no call on the drive. You got the first tech and then 11 seconds later the ref hits you with the second.
MORANT: So what [sic] you asking me?
SELLARS: I’m asking, just kind of your version of what went down and what was said.
MORANT: I mean, I feel like even if I said, it don’t [sic] matter, so yeah. I’ll still get fined regardless — for him being a ho.
The floor general then told Sellars that he thinks referees across the league had it out for him.
SELLARS: Do you feel at this point there’s a vendetta against you? I mean, is it a conspir — referees talking to each other and looking for stuff from you?
MORANT: I don’t know. Probably so. They probably don’t like me. But I don’t give a f—.
Morant missed the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season for the Grizzlies. Without arguably their best player, Memphis really struggled, as it owned a 6-19 record through 25 games.
But ever since Morant has returned to the lineup, the Grizzlies have been playing great basketball. The team has yet to lose with Morant, seeing as how Memphis is riding a four-game winning streak at the moment.
The 24-year-old point guard is averaging 28.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and 81.5 percent from the free-throw line in four games played with the Grizzlies.
During their winning streak, the Grizzlies have picked up wins against the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans twice. Both of Memphis’ games against the Pelicans came down to the wire, as the Grizzlies beat New Orleans by two points on Dec. 19 and by one in overtime on Dec. 26.
For as great as the Grizzlies have played with Morant, the team has a lot of work left to do if it wants to get into the Western Conference playoff picture.
The Grizzlies own the 13th-best record in the conference at 10-19. They are also five games back of the Houston Rockets for the No. 8 seed and four-and-a-half games back of the Phoenix Suns for the No. 10 seed.
Morant and the Grizzlies will play their next game against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Like the Grizzlies, the Nuggets are one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference at the moment, as evidenced by their five-game winning streak.
