Ja Morant’s full name is Temetrius Jamel “Ja” Morant. He was born on the 10th of August, 1999. Ja Morant is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Memphis Grizzles National Basketball Association (NBA) team.
He is the point guard of the team. A point guard usually is the best ball handler and passer within a team who does ball maneuvering and assists the team in staying ahead and shooting while defending the opponent. Given his young age, this in itself is quite an accomplishment.
He was born in Dalzell County, South Carolina. He naturally developed an interest in basketball with his parents in the relevant field. His father has trained him since he was a kid, abandoning his basketball career to raise him.
He started playing basketball in his first year while his professional career in NBA started from NBA season 2019–2020. His achievements throughout his career are truly astonishing and record-breaking.
This article is all about his career, accomplishments, inspirations, preferences, lifestyle, and how he became the Ja Morant, the NBA star that he is today. So, read ahead.
Ja Morant Shoes
For any athlete, carefully choosing their shoes for the game is very important as it can affect your gait and movements. In a game like basketball, the shoes that player wears affect his jumps and bounces the most.
If it doesn’t provide proper traction, grip, or support for the impact on landing or proper bounce while jumping, the player can become unconsciously agitated. This could affect his game, and as a result, he would have to put in the extra effort. Here’s a list of Ja Morant’s shoes during his several NBA matches.
Nike Kobe 6 Protro
Nike Kobe 6 Protro (Grinch) is the successor and much-improved version of the Nike Kobe 6. It was released on 24th December 2020. As this is a Protro model, it has some upgrades like Zoom Air Cushioning for more responsiveness and reduced traction for a better court feel.
The upper of the sneaker features polyurethane, which is lighter and thus reduces the weight of the sneaker overall for responsive jumps. The midsole includes better, softer Cushlon foam. Although the original model was released earlier, Ja Morant debuted these in Grinch color in the 2020–2021 NBA postseason.
With its red accent and the scales, this grinch color looks a lot like the original pair from 2011, which had a green apple and Volt texture and snake-like skin inspired by Black Mamba Moniker. But this one comes with the added benefits you get with a Protro, which makes a star like Ja Morant shine even brighter.
Nike Adapt BB 2.0
These sneakers are a blessing for athletes. They are a technical marvel and an upgrade over the original Nike Adapt BB. They were released on 18th August 2020. They have self-lacing technology and come with an in-built Bluetooth control.
So, you can control how fit you want them on your feet right through your phone. This eliminates the hassle of pressing buttons on it or tying your laces for that perfect grip. They also come with Nike Zoom Turbo Cushion, which provides relaxation and movement responsiveness. The heel is made of hard plastic, ensuring the ankle is locked.
The material used in these sneakers is lightweight, which makes them easy to wear. Their iconic red accent and all these technical specifications make them so appealing that Ja Morant debuted these in NBA on-court.
Nike Kyrie 6
Nike Kyries 6 were rocked by Ja Morant during his rookie seasons in NBA. The colorway that he wore to play “Pre-Heat Heal the World.” The Nike Kyrie series is inspired by Kyrie Irving, a professional National Basketball Association (NBA) player.
This is because just like Kyrie uses his forefoot to increase his acceleration and impossible-to-defend moves, Nike Kyrie 6 helps athletes by adding the Nike Air Zoom Turbo Unit in the forefront. The outsole is curved, which provides swiftness in the movement with precision.
The Nike Air Zoom Turbo cushion provides smoothness and comfort to the foot to enhance agility. The all-around grip is most useful for basketball maneuvers as players get an excellent grip to make movements in all directions.
Nike Kyrie 5
Nike Kyrie 5 is an upgrade over the previous Nike Kyrie 4. The previous iteration had an outsole with a zigzag pattern replaced with a curved one that provides swiftness and exceptional traction on-court. The Flytrap upper is breathable and flexible, which provides support.
It is designed so that when laced, it clenches onto the foot and locks it in for perfect grip. The forefoot is supported by increasing the size of the Air Zoom turbo and wrapping it around the foot for responsiveness in all directions.
These are worn by Ja Morant mostly in his rookie years. His most worn colorways in this model were SpongeBob colorways. He mostly rocked SquarePants and Patrick Star versions of SpongeBob colorways during the 2019–2020 NBA season.
Nike Adapt BB
These sneakers were a jaw-dropping innovation when they were released on 17th Feb 2019. These were among the top shoes for professional basketball players with self-lacing technology.
They have an adjustable black upper that would clench itself on foot through Bluetooth, controlled via your phone. Or you can press the buttons right on it to adjust the perfect fit. The sneakers are lightweight and targeted for basketball players due to their responsiveness, bounce, traction, and, most of all, the fitting adjustment.
Ja Morant wore these in the season after they were released, i.e., 2019–2020 NBA season, during his matches in multiple matches. He sported multiple Sierato colorways, and in some matches, he even wore Dark Gray and Multicolor versions of Nike Adapt BB.
Nike KD 11
Nike KD 11 were the bounce kings Ja Morant wore during his Rookie season, which impressed everyone. The colorway he used was “Chinese Zodiac.” These sneakers feature an upper made of Flyknit. This material is engineered to provide comfort, breathability, and stretch.
This is also lightweight, so it allows for extra agility and responsiveness. These sneakers feature Nike Zoom Air running throughout the sole, cushioning every movement for added responsiveness. The KD in the name stands for Kevin Durant, a professional NBA player.
The designer of these shoes, Leo Chang, was inspired by Kevin Durant due to his unpredictable moves in the games. For Kevin, he dedicated 11 years of his life to designing and tweaking these shoes every season, trying to achieve a perfect design. Hence the name KD 11.
Basketball Career and Stats
Recruitment
Ja Morant was not recruited through any recruiting service. Instead, Assistant coach James Kane noticed him while playing a game. James Kane visited the camp with the hope of finding a player, which he did.
He was immediately impressed by Morant’s moves and contacted the head coach Matt McMahon through whom Morant was offered a scholarship. Soon after, he started to play for Murray State.
College Career
Ja Morant debuted his college career as a freshman by playing for Murray State. He won the match against the Brescia University of NAIA, with a big difference. During his freshman season, his APG of 6.3 ranked 14th in the nation. His shooting at 42% from the field was record-breaking for a freshman.
He debuted his sophomore year with a victory against Wright State with 26 points and 11 assists with a final score of 74–53. He went on to win against Missouri State, broke a record, and became the first player to record multiple triple-doubles.
By the end of 2018, he was projected as the top-five selection in the NBA Draft of the 2019–20 NBA season. In January 2019, he broke the record of most assists in a single game.
Soon after, he set a new career high in a win against SIU Edwardsville. He also broke the OVC record of most back-to-back free throws in a game and made it to the top-ten list of Murray State history to record a 40-point game.
By the end of the season, he was named OVC Player of the Year. He made it to the second overall during the NBA 2019 draft by Memphis Grizzles.
Professional Career
2019–2020 Season
After being drafted into NBA by Memphis Grizzles, Ja Morant signed a four-year contract with them worth $39.6 Million. He made his NBA debut against Miami Heat on 23 October 2019.
While, on the 13th of November, his team secured a victory against Charlotte Hornets, Morant recorded his first double-double, scoring 23 points.
His total score in the NBA season 2019–2020 was 1138 points with a 17.8 PPG (Points Per Game) and an average of 7.1 APG (assists per game). He was named NBA Rookie of the Year by the end of the season.
2020–2021 Season
In the 2020–2021 NBA season, Ja Morant set a career-high score of 44 points against the San Antonio Spurs. During this season, a play-in tournament was implemented in the wake of COVID-19.
The regular tournament was brought down to 72 games during this season, played in the following season. This appeared to be lucky for Morant as he recorded 35 points in a 117 to 112 OT win against Golden State Warriors.
This helped Memphis Grizzles secure their first postseason berth since their last playoff in the 2016–2017 NBA season. He led his team against Utah Jazz to a victory by scoring 26 points in Game 1. He then scored 47 in Game 2, but the team lost 141–129 and was eliminated.
2021–2022 Season
He started this 2021–2022 season with a remarkable victory of 132–121 over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also scored 40 points against Los Angeles Lakers, losing 121–118. He got a knee injury on 18th March, which cost him nine games. But even though he missed 25 games during the season, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
In the playoff’s 3rd Game of the First round, Morant scored 16 points with 10 assists and 10 rebounds, leading the Memphis Grizzles to a 104–95 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In game 5, he scored 30 points, and his team won with a 111–109 score.
During this season, he became the third player in NBA playoffs, right after Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, to have multiple 45 points in his then age. He injured his right knee again on May 7th, resulting in Memphis Grizzles losing 6 games.
Family / Relationship
Ja Morant’s mother “Jaime Morant” was a high school point guard and a college softball player. His father used to play basketball for Claflin University and was considering playing overseas. Before the birth of Ja Morant, Tee sacrificed his basketball career and became a barber to father him.
He used to train Morant in his backyard, teaching him shooting, soft-landing, and jump shots. Morant also played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which inspired him to play basketball professionally.
Skills: Shooting, Passing, Defence
Ja Morant has become one of the NBA’s brightest stars. His high-flying point guard has already raised the eyebrows of the audience multiple times. He possesses speed and dodging abilities which are rare in most athletes, and then tremendously executes them.
His shooting has been recorded at 70.7% of the restricted area while taking 31.6% of his shots. This contributes to his 52.7% career-high mark from the two-point range. His 52% effective field goal and 56% accurate shooting percentages contribute to his career best.
Physical Attributes
Ja Morant is 6 ft 3 inches tall and weighs about 174 pounds. He has tattoos all over his body. On his shoulders are tattooed the letters “SC” and “GA,” which are a way to pay tribute to his hometown, South Carolina and Georgia.
A letter “K” on his left hand is initial for Kaari Jaidyn Morant, his daughter whom he holds dear, while it can also obviously be initial for his partner Kadre. Besides this, he has a Waterfall, Flowers, Numbers, an “M,” an “NLMB,” a train to go, a lifeline, and many other tattoos related to Greek mythology.
Net worth
Ja Morant signed a five-year extension with the Grizzles. In contrast to his first four-year contract, including $39.6 million, this five-year extension includes $193 million of guaranteed money extendable up to $231 million, with the contingency of his selection to an all-NBA team. His net worth as of 2022 is $3 Million with a salary of $9,603,360.
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