Ja Morant: Everything you Need to Know About the NBA Star!

Temetrius Jamel Morant, better known as Ja Morant, is an absolutely exceptional talent and has been under contract with the Memphis Grizzlies since 2019. The US basketball player was born on 10 August 1999 in the small town of Dalzell in South Carolina and is currently one of the best players in the NBA.

His father, Tee Morant, already showed great enthusiasm for basketball and even played with the legendary Ray Allen at high school, although he unfortunately never made it to the NBA. After the birth of his son, he gave up his basketball career and took a job as a hairdresser instead. However, his connection to sport and his dream of playing in the NBA did not end there. During his childhood, Ja Morant was largely coached by his father, who always let him play against older and therefore physically superior opponents. It was instilled in Ja very early on that you can't settle for mediocrity in basketball. This mentality paid off, however, as he was honoured as regional MVP three times during his entire playing time at Crestwood High School and left the school as the player with the most points ever. Ja's great role models included Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook. 

Ja Morant plays point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies and more than fulfils his role. The 1.91m tall and 79kg player impresses fans above all with his incredible explosiveness, speed and agility. He effortlessly manages to get past the world's best defenders in the NBA and sinks his lay-ups with impressive ease. Although Morant is relatively small by league standards, dunks are absolutely no problem for him and the superstar has already put one or two centres on the poster.

Yes, Morant's impressive high school performance actually went rather unnoticed by most colleges and he didn't receive many enquiries from big-name universities. Fortunately, the point guard caught the attention of a Murray State University assistant coach during a tryout after watching him in a 3-on-3 match. The head coach then offered him a scholarship, and the young Morant did not hesitate for long and joined the Racers. Over the course of his college career, the exceptional talent broke plenty of records and was also awarded MVP honours. In a game against SIU Edwardsville, he even scored 40 points, 11 assists and 5 steals, achieving something that no player had managed for 20 years. 

After Ja Morant retired with the Murray State Racers, he declared for the 2019 NBA Draft and was seen as a top-5 pick by many experts immediately after the announcement. That prediction would ultimately come true, as the up-and-coming basketball player was selected second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and signed a two-year contract with the organisation.

The rookie made his debut against the Miami Heat on 23 October 2019 and, despite the defeat, scored 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Until the return of draft pick number 1, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant was by far the best rookie in the NBA and led the statistics in points and assists. Ja even scored 46 points in an away win against the Chicago Bulls on 26 February 2022, setting a franchise record for the Grizzlies. Two days later, he outdid himself again and scored 52 points. Morant even managed to become NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020. 

In a game against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2021-22 NBA season, Ja Morant created an incredible image. The small point guard managed a dunk against the 2.16-metre Austrian centre and put him on the poster ice cold. It's really rare to see a dunk like that and it's definitely one of Morant's most impressive highlights.

Even though Ja Morant's sporting achievements in the NBA are truly impressive, the up-and-coming player has unfortunately not been spared a few scandals in the recent past. During a livestream on Instagram in March 2023, Morant posed with a firearm in a strip club, earning himself an eight-game ban. The young talent apologised for his behaviour and announced that he would seek psychological help. The police investigation was closed shortly after the ban. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident, as Morant was seen again with a handgun in a livestream in June 2023. This time, however, the suspension was much more severe and Ja was suspended for a whole 25 games. As a result, he missed almost a third of the regular season games. 

In May 2019, Ja Morant signed a long-term contract worth millions with Nike, with the superstar even unveiling his own signature sneaker in early 2023. The basketball shoe offers an incredibly good lockdown and a very responsive feel. Numerous colourways of the Nike Ja 1 have already been released and many colour combinations have even sold out within minutes.