Ja Morant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ja Morant

Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021
No. 12 – Memphis Grizzlies
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1999-08-10) August 10, 1999 (age 25) Dalzell, South Carolina, U.S.
High school	Crestwood (Sumter, South Carolina)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	174 lb (79 kg)
Career information
College	Murray State (2017–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Memphis Grizzlies
Pro career	2019–present
League	NBA
Career history
2019–present	Memphis Grizzlies
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2022, 2023) All-NBA Second Team (2022) NBA Most Improved Player (2022) NBA Rookie of the Year (2020) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2020) Consensus first-team All-American (2019) Lute Olson Award (2019) Bob Cousy Award (2019) NCAA assists leader (2019) OVC Player of the Year (2019) 2× First-team All-OVC (2018, 2019) OVC tournament MVP (2019) OVC All-Newcomer Team (2018) No. 12 retired by Murray State Racers

Temetrius Jamel "Ja" Morant (born August 10, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He plays as a point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Murray State Racers. In 2019, he was recognized as a top college player.

Ja Morant was not highly recruited by big college teams. Still, he quickly made a name for himself at Murray State University. In his second year, he became a breakout star. He won the OVC Player of the Year award. He also led all college players in assists. Morant was the first player in college history to average more than 20 points and 10 assists per game in a single season.

The Grizzlies picked Morant second overall in the 2019 NBA draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020. In 2022, he was chosen to start in his first NBA All-Star Game. After the season, Morant won the NBA Most Improved Player Award. He was also selected to his first All-NBA Team.

Ja Morant's Early Life

Temetrius Jamel Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina, on August 10, 1999. His parents are Tee and Jamie Morant. His mom, Jamie, played point guard in high school and softball in college. His dad, Tee, played basketball in college and considered playing professionally. However, when Jamie became pregnant with Ja, Tee stayed home and became a barber.

Morant practiced basketball in his backyard with his father. Tee taught him special moves like step-back jump shots. He also used tractor tires to help Ja practice jumping and landing softly. As a child, Ja often played against older kids. He told his mom he wasn't worried about them. Morant also played for a small youth basketball team called the South Carolina Hornets. For one season, he was teammates with Zion Williamson, who also became a top player.

Morant went to Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He grew taller during his time there. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,679 points. In his last two years, he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. He earned All-State honors both years. Morant also won the All-Region Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times. He couldn't even dunk a basketball until his senior year!

Big college teams didn't notice Morant much at first. Only one major college, South Carolina, offered him a scholarship. But in July 2016, an assistant coach from Murray State accidentally discovered him. The coach was looking for another player but saw Morant playing a three-on-three game. He was so impressed that he offered Morant a scholarship. On September 3, 2016, Morant decided to play for Murray State. His father wisely said, "Don't go where you want to be, go to where they want you."

College Basketball Journey

First Year in College

On November 10, 2017, Morant played his first game for Murray State. He scored 7 points and had 11 assists. On December 12, 2017, he got his first double-double (scoring double digits in two different stats) with 10 points and 12 rebounds. On December 28, he achieved his first triple-double (double digits in three stats). He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists. This was only the second triple-double in his school's history.

Morant's 6.3 assists per game ranked 14th in the nation during his freshman year. He was one of only seven freshmen in 25 years to get over 150 assists, 150 rebounds, and 10 blocks. He also shot well from the field. Morant and Murray State won the OVC championship. They then went to the NCAA Tournament. Morant had 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in the championship game. Murray State lost their first tournament game, but Morant still scored 14 points.

Second Year: A Star Emerges

In the summer of 2018, scouts started to notice Morant. He was invited to a special camp hosted by NBA star Chris Paul. Morant called it "an honor." When his second season began, Morant became the main player for Murray State. In his first game, he scored 26 points and had 11 assists. On November 24, 2018, Morant made history. He had 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. This made him the first Murray State player to ever record multiple triple-doubles.

In his next game, he scored a season-high 38 points. By December 2018, many experts thought Morant would be a top pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Some even thought he could be the very first player chosen.

On January 10, 2019, Morant set a new school record. He had 18 assists in a single game, along with 26 points. Nine days later, he scored a career-high 40 points. He also had 11 assists and 5 steals. He made all 21 of his free throws in that game. Morant became the first college player in 20 years to get at least 40 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals in one game. On February 2, Morant broke the school's single-season assist record. He later became the 46th Murray State player to score 1,000 career points. He also broke the OVC record for single-season assists.

At the end of the regular season, he was named OVC Player of the Year. He also led all NCAA Division I players in assists. He earned All-American honors from several sports groups. On March 8, Morant scored 29 points in the OVC tournament semifinals. He made a game-winning shot. The next day, he scored 36 points to help his team win the OVC Tournament title. Morant was named the tournament's MVP.

On March 21, in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament, Morant had another triple-double. He scored 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 16 assists. He was only the eighth player to officially record a triple-double in tournament history. In the next round, he scored 28 points, but his team lost. Morant finished his sophomore year averaging 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He was the first NCAA player ever to average at least 20 points and 10 assists in a single season.

After the tournament, Morant decided to leave college early. He declared for the 2019 NBA draft.

Becoming an NBA Star

Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies

Rookie of the Year (2019-20)

Morant in 2019

The Memphis Grizzlies picked Morant second overall in the 2019 NBA draft. On July 2, 2019, he signed a four-year contract with the team. On October 23, 2019, Morant played his first NBA game. He scored 14 points, had 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. On November 13, he got his first NBA double-double. He scored 23 points and had 11 assists. He also made a game-winning shot. On February 9, 2020, he recorded his first NBA triple-double.

In his first season, Morant led all rookies in assists. He averaged 7.1 assists per game. He also scored the most points among rookies, with 1,138 total points (17.8 points per game). At the end of the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. He also earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

First Playoffs (2020-21)

On December 23, 2020, Morant scored a career-high 44 points. He also had nine assists.

On May 21, 2021, Morant led Memphis to a big win in the new play-in tournament. He scored 35 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 6 assists. This win secured the Grizzlies' first playoff spot in four seasons. Two days later, he made his NBA playoff debut. He scored 26 points to help his team win Game 1 against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. Morant then scored 47 points in Game 2. However, the Grizzlies were eliminated from the playoffs in five games.

All-Star and All-NBA (2021-22)

On October 20, 2021, Morant scored 37 points in the Grizzlies' first game of the season. On October 24, he scored 40 points and had 10 assists. On December 29, Morant scored a season-high 41 points. He also made a career-high six three-pointers.

Morant against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022

On January 26, Morant tied his season-high of 41 points. He also had 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. On January 27, Morant was chosen to start in his first All-Star Game. The next day, he got his fourth career triple-double. On February 26, Morant scored a career-high 46 points. This broke the Grizzlies' record for most points in a game. Two days later, on February 28, Morant scored even more, setting a new career high of 52 points!

Morant led the Grizzlies to their first Southwest Division title. Memphis also tied their team record with 56 wins. Even though he missed 25 games, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

On April 21, 2022, during the playoffs, Morant got his first postseason triple-double. He had 16 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. In Game 5, Morant scored the game-winning shot with one second left. He finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. On May 3, Morant scored a playoff career-high 47 points. He became only the third player in NBA playoffs history to have multiple 45-point games before turning 23. The Grizzlies lost that series in 6 games.

New Contract and Challenges (2022-23)

On July 6, 2022, Morant signed a big five-year contract extension with the Grizzlies. On October 21, he scored 49 points in the second game of the season. This set a Grizzlies record for most points scored in the first two games of a season. On November 27, Morant got his fifth career triple-double. He then surpassed Marc Gasol for the most triple-doubles in Grizzlies history on December 7.

On January 29, 2023, Morant got his seventh career triple-double. He became the first Grizzlies player to have at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game. On February 2, Morant was named to his second NBA All-Star Game. On February 28, Morant scored 28 of his 39 points in the third quarter. He also got his 10th career triple-double. His 28 points were the most ever scored in a quarter by a Grizzlies player.

In Game 3 of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant scored 45 points. He also had 13 assists and nine rebounds. His 22 points in the fourth quarter were a playoff record for the Grizzlies. Memphis lost the series in 6 games.

Off-Court Incidents

In early 2023, Ja Morant faced challenges off the court. The NBA began investigating an incident involving him. On March 4, 2023, it was reported that the NBA was looking into a video of Morant. The Grizzlies announced that Morant would be away from the team for at least two games. Morant said he would take time away to get help for his stress and well-being. He also deactivated his social media accounts. His shoe company, Nike, supported his decision to get help.

On March 15, Morant met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The NBA then suspended Morant for eight games without pay. This suspension included the games he had already missed.

On May 14, Morant was suspended again from all team activities. This was for another incident on social media. Commissioner Silver said he was "shocked." On June 16, Morant was suspended for 25 games. This suspension required him to complete a program to address his actions.

Return from Suspension and Injury (2023-24)

On December 19, 2023, Morant returned to play after his suspension. He scored 27 of his 34 points in the second half. He also made a game-winning shot against the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 8, 2024, it was announced that Morant would need surgery on his right shoulder. This meant he would miss the rest of the season.

Return from Injury (2024-25)

Morant played in the Grizzlies' first game of the 2024-25 season. He scored 22 points and had 10 assists. On November 6, he got injured while trying to dunk. He missed 10 games because of this. In early December, he said he would not try to dunk anymore to avoid injuries.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

Personal Life

Morant has a younger sister named Teniya. She also plays basketball. He has a tattoo on his left arm that says "beneath no one." This was advice his mother gave him. Morant's athletic style is often compared to Russell Westbrook. Morant says Westbrook is his favorite player because he was also often overlooked.

Morant has a daughter who was born on August 7, 2019.

Media and Pop Culture

On June 3, 2021, Morant released a six-episode documentary called Promiseland. It focused on his first NBA season.

Rapper J. Cole mentioned Morant in his song "My Life" in 2021. On June 1, 2021, rapper Moneybagg Yo released a song called "Rookie of the Year." This song celebrated Morant being named NBA Rookie of the Year. The song talks about Morant's "underdog mentality." It praises his journey from a lesser-known college player to an NBA star.

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See also

In Spanish: Ja Morant para niños