Thanks to the ESPN documentary "The Last Dance," a whole generation of basketball players are now being made privy to the incredible talents of none other than Michael Jordan. Of course, most adults see Jordan as the greatest player of all time, however, many young stars never got to see MJ play. This doc allowed the young ones to finally get a glimpse at just how amazing MJ truly was throughout his numerous championship runs.
One of the players who was convinced of MJ's greatness was none other than Ja Morant. In a recent interview with Taylor Rooks, Morant admitted that he didn't know much about Jordan although the documentary made him realize that he is the true GOAT. As Morant explained, he used to think it was LeBron but now his mind has been successfully changed.
“I haven’t seen Jordan play in person other than highlights. You know, ‘The Last Dance’ actually gave me an opportunity to see how [Jordan] actually was, how he played, his mindset. … I think he’s the GOAT,” Morant said.
It's pretty impressive to see someone so young allow their mind to be changed like that. In today's day and age, most people are pretty stubborn to their beliefs but Morant allowed himself to receive new information and adjust accordingly.
Perhaps others were swayed by "The Last Dance" as well.
Ja Morant Reveals Why Andre Iguodala Snubbed The Grizzlies
Ja Morant was very honest about the circumstances involving Andre Iguodala’s holdout in Memphis.
It feels like forever ago now but back in February, the Memphis Grizzlies traded Andre Iguodala to the Miami Heat after a half-season of holding out. Iguodala had been dealt to the Grizzlies the Golden State Warriors and it was clear that he had no interest in playing with the young guns down south. Iggy claims the team allowed for him to sit out although, during an interview on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Ja Morant explained that it was much deeper than that.
As the rookie told Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Iguodala felt like the team simply wasn’t good enough and that they weren’t worth his time. While Iguodala is in a good situation in Miami, it’s important to note that the Grizzlies are in a playoff spot right now.
“Coming in, when they said he was going to be on our roster, I was very excited having a vet like that in the locker room with us,” Morant said. “Me coming in that first year, I was looking forward to learning some stuff from him and he was saying he wasn’t going to play with us or whatever happened. Like you said it’s a business, all different stuff going around, somebody said he said we weren’t good enough so in my head I was like it is what it is.”
While Iguodala’s feelings towards the Grizzlies may have been harsh, they make sense considering he wants to finish his career with an NBA title. Don’t get us wrong, the Grizzlies will be great for years to come. However, for an aging veteran, they aren’t the best landing spot. At least not right now.
Ja Morant Responds To Lil Wayne’s Shoutout
Lil Wayne had some high praise for Ja Morant during an appearance on the "All The Smoke" podcast.
Ja Morant was killing it in his first year in the NBA, prior to the suspension of the season due to the Coronavirus. If and when the league resumes, Morant's Memphis Grizzlies will be in a playoff spot which is something no one would have predicted at the beginning of the season. With that being said, Morant has been impressing a lot of people, including some of the most well-established artists in the entire world. On a recent episode of the "All The Smoke" podcast, Lil Wayne praised Morant for being one of the best young players in the entire league.
Morant was made aware of this praise and took to Twitter with one word: "Love." Clearly, Morant was surprised by the shoutout although he was incredibly happy to receive it, nonetheless.
Morant was also making a great case for himself to win rookie of the year honors. If the league does, in fact, resume, Morant will surely be a lock for the award. While one could make the case for Zion Williamson, the Pelicans star only played less than half the season, while Morant would have played a full campaign. This fact alone should go a long way in deciding who gets the ROTY honor.
Regardless, it's clear that Morant is already having a huge impact on the sport.
Ja Morant Reacts To Rookie Of The Year Race With Dismissive Energy
Ja Morant was the clear frontrunner for rookie of the year before Zion Williamson showed up.
Ja Morant came into the NBA with a chip on his shoulder and he has easily been one of the league's most impressive players, early on. The Memphis Grizzlies star has put his team in a playoff position with just over 20 games to go in the season. It remains to be seen whether or not the Grizzlies will get there but so far, so good.
Morant is one of the frontrunners for the Rookie Of The Year trophy although if you had asked anyone about a month ago, it would have been clear that Morant should win. Now, Morant is facing stiff competition from Zion Williamson who has been brilliant in his first 15 games. There seems to be a real debate as to who should win the award but according to Omari Sankofa of The Athletic, Morant couldn't care less.
“I honestly don’t care about Rookie of the Year. They can give that to who they want," Morant said. This answer is certainly open for interpretation in the sense that he could either really not care, or he would rather focus on something else because, in actuality, it's bothering him. Regardless of what his reason for feeling this way is, there is no doubt he will most likely come away with the ROTY trophy, especially if his team makes the postseason.
Who do you think should get rookie of the year? Let us know in the comments, below.
Russell Westbrook Reacts To Ja Morant’s Praise
Grizzlies rookie sensation Ja Morant says he feels like All Star point guard Russell Westbrook is "highly disrespected."
NBA rookies Ja Morant and Zion Williamson have a deep respect for the league's veteran superstars, and they've been vocal about how much everyone should appreciate them while they're still playing. Prior to the Pelicans vs Lakers showdown earlier this week, Zion praised LeBron James, telling reporters, "Sometimes I feel he doesn't get the respect he deserves."
On Wednesday night, it was Morant who offered high praise for Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Following Houston's 140-112 victory over the Grizzlies, Morant explained that he feels the former MVP is "highly disrespected."
“I still feel like he’s highly disrespected,” Morant told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “People take his play for granted. I mean, he averaged a triple-double for the last three or four years, and I’m pretty sure they see what he’s doing this year, but it’s still the same thing. I just love that he still just goes out and plays and handles his business and doesn’t worry about it.”
Westbrook, who recorded 33 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists last night, responded by saying he's just going to "keep busting everybody's ass."
“I don’t really care what nobody else thinks about my game,” said Westbrook. “I appreciate guys like [Morant] and other guys, but as long as I’m OK and satisfied with what I bring to the table, I’m going to keep busting everybody’s ass.”
The Rockets improved to 38-20 (4th in the West) behind Westbrook's efforts against Memphis, while the Grizz fell to 28-30, which is still 2.5 games up in the race for the eighth seed.
Ja Morant Pays Homage To Vince Carter With "Honey Dip" Dunk
Ja Morant should have been in the dunk contest.
Before Zion Williamson came back from his injury, it was quite obvious that Ja Morant was the best rookie in the NBA. Morant has been downright dominant for the Memphis Grizzlies and he is looking to carry them to a playoff spot. The rookie is feisty and bold and doesn't seem to back away from a challenge. All of these characteristics are going to make him a problem for years to come and we can't wait to see it all manifest before our very eyes.
While he didn't participate in the dunk contest, it's well known that Morant is an exceptionally proficient dunker. Prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings, Morant showed off his dunking ability and even paid tribute to Vince Carter with his "honey dip" dunk. Of course, the dunk had Morant hanging from the rim with his elbow. As you can see, Morant pulled off the move to perfection.
Unfortunately for Morant and the Grizzlies, they went on to lose by a score of 129-125. Despite the loss, the Grizzlies remain in eighth place in the Western Conference and are three games up on the Portland Trail Blazers. Hopefully, we can see Morant in the playoffs because simply put, it would be electric.
Ja Morant Reacts To Controversial Dunk Contest Scoring
Don't count on Ja Morant competing in any future Slam Dunk Contests after the way the 2020 event played out.
The 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest ended in controversy thanks to some suspect scoring from Dwyane Wade and the judges, and it looks like the outcome will impact which players decide to participate in future contests. For one, Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant claims you can totally forget about him competing next year.
Morant, who turned down an invite to compete in the 2020 contest, was active on twitter as the judges handed Aaron Gordon a 47 on his final dunk, essentially gifting the trophy to Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. in the process. As seen in the tweets embedded below, not only was Morant appalled by the scoring, but he insists he has no interest in getting involved in any future dunk contests - even if Zion Williamson is involved.
The 20-year old point guard has already put together quite the impressive in-game dunk highlight reel in just his first 48 NBA games. Unfortunately, it appears as though we'll have to settle for his in-game and pre-game dunks unless the NBA radically changes their Slam Dunk Contest system.
According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, Morant initially decided not to participate in the 2020 event because he wanted to focus on "maintaining good health for the duration of the season." At the time, Morant hadn't ruled out competing in future contests but his feelings have certainly changed.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Andre Iguodala Praises Ja Morant Following His Falling Out In Memphis: Watch
Iggy channels Marshawn Lynch when speaking on the young Grizzlies core.
Andre Iguodala had nothing but praise for his former "teammates" Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, despite the messy falling out that took place before the Grizzlies traded Iggy to the Miami Heat.
During a recent SportsCenter interview, Iguodala praised Morant as the Rookie of the Year and a point guard that he'd pick to start a franchise with. Iggy also channelled his inner Marshawn Lynch, as he advised both youngsters to "take care of your chicken and your mentals."
In case you missed it, Iguodala was traded to Memphis last off-season but he never even stepped foot in the city. Leading up to the NBA trade deadline last week, Brooks spoke candidly about the situation, telling reporters, "I cant wait til we find a way to trade him so we can play him and show him really what Memphis is about.” Unfortunately, the Grizzlies and Heat won't meet again this season so Morant and Brooks will have to wait until next season to square off against the 36-year old veteran.
The Grizz will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night before they officially head into the All Star break. As it stands, Memphis (27-26) is 2.5 games up on the Blazers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
Andre Iguodala Claims Grizzlies Offered To Let Him Sit Out
Iguodala and the Grizzlies had an understanding.
Andre Iguodala had himself an interesting first half to the NBA season. For those who don’t know, Iguodala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer and didn’t play a single game for the team. Young Grizzlies stars like Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant were critical of Iguodala who was clearly avoiding the team in hopes of being traded. Eventually, Iguodala was sent to the Miami Heat in exchange for a wide variety of pieces. Last night, Iggy got to play his very first game with the Heat and he put up two points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Iguodala has been subjected to a lot of backlash for his holdout with the Grizzlies although as he told The Athletic, it was actually the Grizzlies’ idea. In fact, they came to him wondering if he would prefer to sit the first half of the season, knowing the Grizzlies weren’t his ideal situation.
Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Per Iguodala:
“Well, that’s always going to be the case. That’s what I’m saying. That’s why I said I didn’t do anything special, and that’s why I’m saying that I’m joking about the ‘case study’ part because there was a mutual agreement. … It was brought to me, you understand what I’m saying? It was brought to me. The (Warriors) trade happens, and it’s brought to me, (and he’s told), “Hey, we know you’re coming from this situation and, you know, it may not be ideal for you…”
I never approached anyone to say, “Hey, this is not somewhere that I want to be, and I’m not going to show up.” That never occurred. But that’s never going to get put out there because, you know…”
With this information in mind, it’s clear the Grizzlies always had a plan from the start.
Kobe Bryant’s Memorial Confirmed, Dana White Reveals His Ties To UFC
February 24 may become a Los Angeles holiday.
After removing the thousands of flowers, letters, stuffed animals, and keepsakes from the unofficial memorial set up outside of the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles, details about Kobe Bryant’s public service have been shared. On February 24, in honor of the late basketball icon’s jersey number, a public memorial service will be held at the Staples Center for both Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant who died alongside her father in a fatal helicopter crash on January 26.
Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images
Obviously, the behind the scenes planning to secure that date was intense as the city of L.A., the police, and the Los Angeles Clippers had to coordinate schedules, reports ABC News. On the evening of the 24th, the Clippers are set to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Staples Center, as well.
TMZ spoke with UFC president Dana White who revealed that the UFC will also honor the fallen basketball legend. “This is the first fight since it happened and yes, we’re gonna do something for Kobe,” he said. “You look at Kobe the basketball player, right? Then the guy that won an Oscar and all of the other things that this guy has accomplished in his life. Well, also, he was one of the big investors in BodyArmor, a company that’s a sponsor of the UFC. He was also an investor in the UFC.”
White revealed that the Wednesday before his death, he spoke with Kobe who told him he’d wish he’d invested more into the UFC. “He was a great dude, he was apart of this company… Kobe Bryant was a good guy in every way that you could possibly be a good guy,” White added. Watch his clip below.
