NBA Updates: New York Knicks decline raising NBA Cup banner, Ja Morant’s injury and more

December 17, 2025, turned out to be a defining day for the league. Despite winning the NBA Cup, the New York Knicks declined to lift the banner. It created a lot of buzz within the league as well as among fans. Apart from this, the Memphis Grizzlies managed to rack up a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves without Ja Morant. The star player of the team remained sidelined due to another setback injury.

Off the court, the league witnessed a few controversies and punishments. Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was fined for making inappropriate comments on the officiating personnel of the game during a post-game interview. This is not the first time the coach faced punishment. Udoka was previously suspended by the Boston Celtics for violating team policies.

Why did the New York Knicks decline to raise the NBA Cup Banner?

In stunning news, the winners of the NBA Cup chose restraint over celebration. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to win their first cup since 1973. However, the team decided not to lift the banner against the former winners commemorating the achievement. SNY insider Ian Begley was the first one to break the news to the fans.


It was an organizational choice to do so. The team seemingly wants to focus on the championship run rather than highlighting an interim success. The Knicks have never publicly spoken against the in-season tournament. However, their recent act reflects how the regular season still is a more important goal than the NBA Cup Championship.

Ja Morant misses the Memphis Grizzlies' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves

It doesn’t look like an effective season for Ja Morant. The NBA star was sidelined due to an injury since mid-November. However, he made a comeback against the Utah Jazz on December 12. Despite the comeback, the player faced another injury in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He missed the fourth quarter of the game due to an ankle injury. Owing to that, the athlete missed out on the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.


Morant was initially listed as questionable to play but was later downgraded to doubtful. His status for the future games remains uncertain. Despite his absence, the team managed to rack up a win against the Timberwolves with a 6-point lead.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka fined for lashing out at officials

Ime Udoka faces another major punishment due to his recent comments. During a post-game interview after the Houston Rockets’ overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. He blamed the officials partially for the team’s loss. Udoka stated, “Just in general, I think, most poorly officiated game I've seen in a long time. [Officials Natalie Sago and Jamahl Ralls] have no business being out there, and [crew chief Zach Zarba] was acting starstruck. You're seeing all kinds of inconsistent calls, and I'm sure we should've gotten a few more techs.”


Following his disrespectful comments, the coach was fined a staggering amount of $25,000. The announcement was made by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. In the announcement, it was clearly stated that the reason behind it was “public criticism of the officiating.” Udoka has been involved in such controversies before. One such case was when the coach was suspended by the Boston Celtics for violating team policies.

These are some of the top news stories of the day. With the NBA now being several weeks into the season, keep following this segment for more updates on wins, injuries and more.

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