Ja Morant’s frustration boiled over again, and this time it was aimed squarely at his own bench.
Early in the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Ja Morant attacked the rim, absorbed contact from Deandre Ayton, and lost the ball out of bounds. Morant immediately believed he had been fouled, but the whistle never came.
Ja Morant went OFF on his coach:
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” After they refused to challenge pic.twitter.com/KKCoG0qiVk
— Logion Noops (@LogionNoops) January 3, 2026
And as the Lakers quickly inbounded the ball, Morant turned toward the Grizzlies bench and repeatedly shouted, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing?’ demanding that his coaches challenge the call. The moment lingered on camera, capturing a star guard openly questioning his staff’s decision-making just minutes into the game.
From a coaching perspective, the hesitation was understandable. It was early in the first quarter. Burning a challenge that soon carries real risk, especially if it fails, since teams lose the ability to challenge for the rest of the night. Even clear contact does not always guarantee a successful review. Still, Morant wanted the challenge, and his reaction suggested a deeper disconnect than a single no-call.
This is not a one-off incident. Earlier this season, Morant clashed with the Grizzlies’ coaching staff when he called them out in a press conference. And that resulted in a one-game suspension.
Morant didn’t have a great game against the Lakers as well, as he ended with 16 points and 11 assists on 7-18 shooting from the field, and he went 0-3 from three-point range. Morant is having a down year, averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists while shooting just 40.1% from the field and 20.8% from three-point range.
The Grizzlies lost 128–121, their third straight defeat, despite good outings from Jaren Jackson Jr. (25 points) and from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (20 points). The Grizzlies came back strong, and they even took the lead in the fourth quarter. But with strong performances from LeBron James (31 points, nine rebounds, and six assists) and Luka Doncic (34 points, six rebounds, and eight assists), the Lakers took over late and shut the door on the visitors.
This season has been rough for Morant on multiple levels. On-court struggles, lingering questions about leadership, and reports of internal friction have all piled up. Add in past incidents, including technical fouls, off-court controversy, and even trade rumors, and the picture becomes increasingly uneasy.
Morant is still one of the league’s most explosive guards, but moments like this underline a growing concern. When frustration turns outward instead of inward, and when trust between star and staff appears shaky, the problems tend to grow, not fade.
The no-challenge itself did not cost Memphis the game. But the reaction to it said far more than the call ever could.
