Ja Morant facts for kids
Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021
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| No. 12 – Memphis Grizzlies | |
|---|---|
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 10, 1999 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 | |
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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, earning first-team All-American honors.
Ja Morant was not heavily recruited by big college basketball programs. However, he quickly made a name for himself at Murray State University. He became a star in his second year, winning the OVC Player of the Year award. He also led all college players in assists that season. Morant was the first player in NCAA history to average more than 20 points and 10 assists per game in a single season.
The Grizzlies chose Morant as the second overall pick 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. He also won the NBA Most Improved Player Award and was selected to the All-NBA Team.
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Ja Morant's Early Life and Basketball Start
Temetrius Jamel Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina, on August 10, 1999. His parents, Tee and Jamie Morant, both played basketball. His mom, Jamie, was a point guard in high school and played college softball. His dad, Tee, played basketball in college and even considered playing professionally overseas. But when Jamie became pregnant with Ja, Tee decided to stay home and became a barber.
Morant practiced basketball in his backyard with his dad. Tee taught him special moves like step-back jump shots. He also helped Ja practice jumping safely. Ja often played against older kids and wasn't afraid. He played for a small team called the South Carolina Hornets. For one season, he even played with Zion Williamson, who became another top player.
High School Basketball Journey
Morant went to Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He grew a lot during his time there, from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,679 points. In one game, he scored a career-high 47 points. In his last two years, he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. He earned All-State honors both years and was a three-time All-Region MVP. He couldn't even dunk until his senior year!
Big college programs didn't notice Morant much at first. His only major offer came from South Carolina. But then, an assistant coach from Murray State accidentally saw him play. The coach was impressed and 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 Success
Freshman Year Highlights
On November 10, 2017, Morant played his first game for Murray State. He had 7 points and 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) with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists. This was only the second triple-double in his school's history!
Morant averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He was named first-team All-OVC and OVC All-Newcomer Team. His 6.3 assists per game ranked 14th in the nation. Murray State won the OVC championship and went to the NCAA Tournament. Morant had 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in the championship game.
Sophomore Year Breakout Season
Before his sophomore season in 2018, basketball scouts started to notice Morant. He was invited to a special camp hosted by NBA star Chris Paul. 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 by getting his second triple-double with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.
By December 2018, many experts thought Morant would be one of the top five players chosen in the 2019 NBA draft. Some even thought he could be the very first pick! On January 10, 2019, he set a school record with 18 assists in a single game. Nine days later, he scored a career-high 40 points, with 11 assists and 5 steals. He also made all 21 of his free throws!
Morant broke the school record for single-season assists. He also became the 46th Murray State player to score 1,000 career points. 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 first-team All-American honors.
In the OVC tournament, Morant scored 29 points in the semifinals, including a game-winning shot. He then had 36 points in the championship game, leading Murray State to victory. He was named the tournament's MVP. In the NCAA tournament, Morant recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists. He was only the eighth player in tournament history to do so.
Morant finished his sophomore year averaging 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 10 assists 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 and enter the 2019 NBA draft.
Professional NBA Career
Joining the Memphis Grizzlies (2019–Present)
Rookie of the Year Season (2019–20)
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The Memphis Grizzlies picked Ja Morant as the second overall player in the 2019 NBA draft. On July 2, 2019, he signed a four-year contract with the team. Morant made his NBA debut on October 23, 2019, scoring 14 points. On November 13, he got his first NBA double-double with 23 points and 11 assists. He also made a game-winning shot! On February 9, 2020, he recorded his first NBA triple-double.
Morant was chosen for the Rising Stars Game during the 2019–20 season. He led all rookies in assists, averaging 7.1 assists per game. He also scored the most points among rookies with 1,138 (17.8 points per game). At the end of the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and made the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
First Playoff Appearance (2020–21)
On December 23, 2020, Morant scored a career-high 44 points. On May 21, 2021, in a special play-in tournament game, Morant led Memphis to a 117–112 overtime win. He scored 35 points, helping the Grizzlies reach the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Two days later, he made his NBA playoff debut, scoring 26 points in a win against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. In Game 2, he scored an amazing 47 points. The Grizzlies were eventually eliminated in five games.
All-Star and All-NBA Selections (2021–22)
On October 20, 2021, Morant started the season strong with 37 points. On October 24, he scored 40 points and had 10 assists. On December 29, Morant scored a season-high 41 points, making a career-high six three-pointers.
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On January 27, Morant was selected to his first All-Star Game as a starter for the Western Conference. The next day, he recorded his fourth career triple-double. On February 26, Morant scored a career-high 46 points, breaking a Grizzlies franchise record. Two days later, he topped that with an incredible 52 points! Morant led the Grizzlies to their first Southwest Division title. They also tied their franchise record with 56 wins. Even though he missed 25 games, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
In the playoffs, Morant made history again. On April 21, 2022, he recorded the first postseason triple-double in Grizzlies history. In Game 5, he scored the game-winning layup with one second left. On May 3, he 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, joining Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Morant injured his right knee in Game 3 of the next series, and the Grizzlies lost in six games.
Contract Extension and Challenges (2022–23)
On July 6, 2022, Morant signed a five-year contract extension with the Grizzlies. On October 21, he scored 49 points in the second game of the season. He set a Grizzlies record for most points scored in the first two games of a season (83). On November 27, Morant got his fifth career triple-double. On December 7, he got his sixth triple-double, passing Marc Gasol for the most in Grizzlies history.
On January 29, 2023, Morant recorded his seventh career triple-double. He was 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, he scored 28 of his 39 points in the third quarter, achieving his 10th career triple-double. His 28 points in a quarter were the most ever by a Grizzlies player.
In the playoffs, Morant scored 45 points in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 22 of those points in the fourth quarter, a Grizzlies playoff record for a single quarter. The Grizzlies eventually lost the series in six games.
During this season, Morant faced some challenges off the court. He was suspended by the NBA for eight games due to violating league rules. He took time away from the team to focus on his well-being. Later, in May, he was suspended again for 25 games for further violations of league rules. The league 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, including a game-winning shot. However, on January 8, 2024, it was announced that Morant would need season-ending right shoulder surgery. This meant he only played nine games that season.
Recent Season and Team Changes (2024–25)
Morant played in the Grizzlies' opening game of the 2024-25 season, scoring 22 points and getting 10 assists. On November 6, he got injured trying to dunk and missed 10 games. He later said he would try not to dunk as much to avoid injuries.
On March 28, 2025, the Grizzlies made a big change by firing coach Taylor Jenkins. He had been Morant's only head coach with the team. This happened even though the team had a good record and was close to making the playoffs. After this, some team members, including Morant, shared their frustrations about changes in his role on the team.
On April 1, 2025, Morant and another player, Buddy Hield, made gestures during a game that the league investigated. The league said the gestures were not meant to be violent but were inappropriate. They warned both players. In his next game on April 3, Morant made similar gestures again. He then made a game-winning shot. When asked about the criticism, he said he was "used to" negative comments and didn't "care no more." The next day, Morant was fined $75,000 for not following the league's warning.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
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| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA Performance
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Memphis | 67 | 67 | 31.0 | .477 | .335 | .776 | 3.9 | 7.3 | .9 | .3 | 17.8 |
| 2020–21 | Memphis | 63 | 63 | 32.6 | .449 | .303 | .728 | 4.0 | 7.4 | .9 | .2 | 19.1 |
| 2021–22 | Memphis | 57 | 57 | 33.1 | .493 | .344 | .761 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 1.2 | .4 | 27.4 |
| 2022–23 | Memphis | 61 | 59 | 31.9 | .466 | .307 | .748 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 1.1 | .3 | 26.2 |
| 2023–24 | Memphis | 9 | 9 | 35.3 | .471 | .275 | .813 | 5.6 | 8.1 | .8 | .6 | 25.1 |
| 2024–25 | Memphis | 50 | 50 | 30.4 | .454 | .309 | .824 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 1.2 | .2 | 23.2 |
| Career | 307 | 305 | 31.9 | .469 | .316 | .766 | 4.7 | 7.4 | 1.0 | .3 | 22.6 | |
| All-Star | 2 | 2 | 18.8 | .600 | .000 | — | 2.0 | 3.0 | .5 | .0 | 6.0 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Memphis | 5 | 5 | 40.6 | .487 | .323 | .775 | 4.8 | 8.2 | .4 | .0 | 30.2 |
| 2022 | Memphis | 9 | 9 | 37.6 | .440 | .340 | .747 | 8.0 | 9.8 | 2.0 | .4 | 27.1 |
| 2023 | Memphis | 5 | 5 | 37.4 | .425 | .419 | .769 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 1.8 | .2 | 24.6 |
| 2025 | Memphis | 3 | 3 | 27.3 | .415 | .250 | .636 | 2.0 | 5.0 | .7 | .7 | 18.3 |
| Career | 22 | 22 | 36.8 | .445 | .344 | .750 | 6.2 | 8.1 | 1.4 | .3 | 26.0 | |
College Performance
| * | Led NCAA Division I |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Murray State | 32 | 32 | 34.0 | .459 | .307 | .806 | 6.5 | 6.3 | .9 | .4 | 12.7 |
| 2018–19 | Murray State | 33 | 33 | 36.6 | .499 | .363 | .813 | 5.7 | 10.0* | 1.8 | .8 | 24.5 |
| Career | 65 | 65 | 35.3 | .485 | .343 | .810 | 6.1 | 8.2 | 1.4 | .6 | 18.7 | |
Ja Morant's Personal Life
Morant has a younger sister, Teniya, who also plays basketball. She used to play with him in their backyard. He has a tattoo on his left arm that says "beneath no one," which was advice from his mother. Morant's athletic style is often compared to Russell Westbrook. Morant says Westbrook is his favorite player because he was also often overlooked, just like Ja was by college recruiters.
Morant has a daughter who was born on August 7, 2019.
Images for kids
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Morant in 2019
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Morant against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Ja Morant para niños
