As the Memphis Grizzlies’ polarizing point guard Ja Morant returned to play on Tuesday, “The King” extended a warm welcome. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James posted on X to show his support for Morant’s comeback following a 25-game suspension due to his display of handguns on social media.

“Welcome back!!” James tweeted, adding an emoji of No. 12, Morant’s jersey number. “Go be GREAT again!!”

Morant has been able to practice and travel with the team, participating in morning shoot-arounds as stipulated by his suspension terms. However, he has not been allowed to be in the arena with the team on game days.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins has praised Morant for his dedication and work ethic, even though he has not been permitted to play.

“He’s been awesome despite not being able to play in the games,” Jenkins said Friday night, according to NBA.com. “He’s taken every opportunity to be with his teammates, leaning into the team a lot and engaging in off-court activities with them.”

On Friday, Morant spoke with reporters for the first time this season, expressing his eagerness to return to the court for Tuesday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. He shared his reflections on the suspension.

“In the end, I feel like it made me better,” Morant said. “I feel like I learned some things about myself during that process. It was very eye-opening. It gave me a new perspective on life, how I go about my days, and how I carry myself.”

Morant, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2019 and the 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year, was suspended for a total of 33 games following two separate incidents where he displayed a handgun on social media.

The first incident occurred at a Denver nightclub, where Morant brandished a weapon on his Instagram Live stream. Two weeks later, on his friend’s Instagram Live, Morant displayed the weapon again while singing a song.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced a harsher suspension after the second incident and outlined steps Morant needed to follow during that period.

Silver and Morant spoke this past week, with Morant describing the conversation as positive.

Moving forward, Morant understands that his actions must demonstrate that he has changed.

“I can’t make anyone believe me just with words,” Morant said. “So, answering this question verbally probably won’t mean much to anyone.”

The Grizzlies surely need Morant back on the court, as they’ve been off to a major skid to start the season, owning a 6-19 record one season after earning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

However, with Morant unavailable, James and the Lakers took care of them in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.