Ja Morant's father dons 'Redemption' hoodie for son's NBA return

Ja Morant's father saw his son's return to the NBA court as a step toward his atonement process.

On Wednesday night sitting courtside at the FedEx Forum for the Memphis Grizzlies' game against the Houston Rockets, Tee Morant sported a hoodie that featured an image of his son and the word "Redemption."

The point guard's uncle Phil and daughter, Kaari, sat with Tee wearing matching hoodies.

Ja Morant came off the bench in the first quarter to score 17 points in the Grizzlies' 130-125 home win. This marked his first playing time since March 3 when he was suspended after brandishing a gun on Instagram Live.

"I really think it’s great for the city," Tee Morant said to The Athletic. "I’m loving the love they’re showing to the Morants. People make mistakes. I’m glad that we can get back to a sense of normalcy."

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Ja Morant, a two-time All-Star, received a standing ovation for his performance.

"It felt good, man, still a little bit of mixed emotions, but I was excited to be back," Morant said after the game while holding Kaari. "I love these guys. I love our fans. I love the organization for their continued support throughout this process I'm going through."

During the nine games he was away, Morant reportedly entered a counseling program in Florida.

"I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being," he said in a statement.

"I saw growth, and I saw grace," Morant's father said after his son's return. "And I know that he knows that God is in control of everything. Forget what the world got to say about you; you can only be judged by one."

The Grizzlies are now 45-27 and clinched the Southwest Division with the win. They are currently second in the Western Conference behind the Denver Nuggets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ja Morant's father Tee dons 'Redemption' hoodie for son's NBA return