Ja Morant

by Joe Capo

December 26, 2020

Sometimes in life you remember the exact moment you saw a particular movie, heard a song for the first time, or got your first glimpse of an elite athlete. For me, March 3rd, 2018 was one of those days. I was sitting on my couch watching the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament between Murray State and Belmont. Why? Because there was nothing else on television and I love college basketball. That night I saw a player who didn’t blow me away with his stats (15 points, 5 asssists, 5 rebounds.) He didn’t win the Tournament MVP (Murray State’s Johnathan Stark.) However, there was something else that caught my eye. A quick first step…his basketball IQ…the attention he drew from the opposing defense. An X factor, if you will. Wait, he’s only a freshman? Well, this kid is gonna be something special. What’s his name? Ja Morant.

Ja Morant, who was born and raised in South Carolina, was unranked by recruiting sites like 247Sports and Rivals. In an interesting story, he was accidentally discovered by Murray State assistant coach James Kane, who was attending a basketball camp to see another player who was joining his team. While looking for a snack bar, he noticed Ja playing a 3-on-3 pick up game, in an auxiliary gym. Impressed by what he saw, he contacted head coach Matt McMahon, who soon offered Morant a scholarship, and the rest is history.

By the start of his sophomore season at Murray State, Ja was ready to be noticed on a national level. He kicked the doors open to that season with a 26 point, 11 assist game against Wright State. Two weeks later, it was a 29 point, 13 rebound, 12 assist, triple-double outing versus Missouri State. And 2 nights after that, he dropped a season-high 38 points in a loss to Alabama. By the beginning of December, word had spread through the country, like a brush fire, that a Murray State point guard was “Must Watch TV.” ESPN was showing his occasional game, he was making regular appearances on Sportscenter’s Top 10 lists, and basketball fans everywhere were jumping on the bandwagon. However, with Ja playing college ball in the Ohio Valley Conference, there are going to be doubters as to how good a player he actually is, based on his level of competition.

When you play basketball for a small school, like Murray State, and you want to make some noise, what better way to do it then at the NCAA Tournament. After all, March Madness is where legends are made. Sometimes it’s one game, and sometimes it’s a deep run, that can make a small school or an unknown player receive national recognition. Who could forget in 2008, when 10-seeded Davidson, and future NBA superstar Steph Curry, tore through the tournament to reach the Elite 8 by beating teams like Gonzaga, 2-seed powerhouse Georgetown, and Wisconsin. Curry averaged 34 points a game in that tournament. Two years later, in 2010, Gordon Hayward carried 8-seeded Butler all the way to the Championship game and came inches away from sinking a half court shot at the buzzer that would’ve had Hollywood screenwriters foaming at the mouth to write that script. And finally, in 2012, CJ McCollum of 15-seeded Lehigh, made everyone take notice with a monstrous 30 point, 6 assist, 6 rebound game to upset 2-seed Duke. All three of these guys are currently enjoying successful NBA careers. In 2019, OVC Player of the Year and First Team All-American, Ja Morant followed in their footsteps. He led his 12-seeded Racers to an 83-64 drubbing of 5th seeded Marquette while recording only the 8th triple-double in tournament history (17 pts-16 assts-11 rebs.) After losing to Florida State in the 2nd round, he announced that he would forgo his last 2 years of eligibility and enter the 2019 NBA Draft. He went on to become the 2nd overall pick, selected by the Memphis Grizzlies.

In Morant’s first year in the NBA, his 17 point, 7 assist, and 4 rebound averages were enough to land him Rookie of the Year honors, receiving 99% of the 1st place votes. Although his Grizzlies lost in a play-in game for the final seed in the West, it’s clear that a future star had arrived. He’s opened his second year as a pro in beastly fashion, by becoming the youngest player in NBA history to drop 40 points in a season opener…with his 44 point output versus the San Antonio Spurs. With a solid young core of players like Jaren Jackson, Dillon Brooks, and Brandon Clarke surrounding him, Ja seems poised to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to the playoffs this year in a loaded Western Conference.

In 2-plus years of being a Ja Morant fan and closely following this young man’s career, if I had to sum up what kind of player he is in one word, it would be ELECTRIC. If you watch the Grizzlies play on any given night, you will see something miraculous from Ja. Did you see him break that defender down off the dribble? Check. Did you see that unbelievable pass he just made? Check. Did you see that tomahawk jam he just threw down? Check. His unselfish play and willingness to get his teammates involved make him a true point guard. I think his greatest quality on the court, along with his leadership, is his aggressive, fearless approach to taking the ball strong to the hoop, a la Russell Westbrook-style. On top of his freakish athletic ability and sky’s the limit potential, he’s a high character guy as well. Sure, he made a mistake this past summer in reposting an anti-police photo during the Black Lives Matter movement, but he apologized and was quoted as saying the post “didn’t clearly and accurately convey what I wanted to share.” He’s humble, modest, and embraces the city of Memphis as his own. In an age where sports fans can’t stand athletes for various reasons (arrogance, stupidity, entitlement, cockiness, etc) I don’t know one person that can’t stand Ja Morant. He’s just a likeable guy. Along with other young talent like Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson, the NBA is in good hands moving forward. Ja Morant is a show. He is box office. He is one of my favorite players to watch and he is going to be great for the NBA. I wish this young man nothing but the greatest of success throughout his NBA career.