Ja Morant Bio
Temetrius Jamel “Ja” Morant is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Murray State Racers, where he was a consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2019. Morant was only lightly recruited by NCAA Division I programs and unranked by recruiting services, despite having been named All-Region Most Valuable Player three times. He made an immediate impact at Murray State University, earning first-team all-conference honors as a freshman and later was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020. Since being drafted second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Morant has established himself as one of the league’s top young talents.
Early Life and Background
Temetrius Jamel Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina, on August 10, 1999, to Tee and Jamie Morant. His mother, Jamie, was a point guard in high school and a softball player in college, while his father was a high school teammate of Ray Allen and played basketball for Claflin University. After playing semi-professionally, Tee considered playing professional basketball overseas, but when Jamie became pregnant with Ja, he abandoned his basketball career and stayed at home, becoming a barber instead. Morant trained in his backyard with his father, who taught him step-back jump shots and bought tractor tires for him to practice jumping with a soft landing. In his childhood, he often faced older opponents, telling his mother, “I’m not worried about the big kids.” Morant played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit with the South Carolina Hornets, a small grassroots team based in Columbia, South Carolina. For one season, he was teammates with Zion Williamson, who became one of the top players in the 2018 class. Morant attended Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He grew from 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) in his first three years with the team. Morant left as its all-time leading scorer, with 1,679 points, and scored a career-high 47 points against Sumter High School. In his last two seasons at Crestwood, he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game, earning South Carolina Class 3A All-State honors both years. Morant also left high school as a three-time All-Region Most Valuable Player.
Path to Basketball
Morant was not ranked in the class of 2017 by recruiting services ESPN, 247Sports, or Rivals. His only high major NCAA Division I offer came from South Carolina. He was accidentally discovered by mid-major program Murray State of the Ohio Valley Conference in July 2016, when assistant coach James Kane attended a camp hoping to see a player who was joining his team. While looking for a snack, Kane noticed Morant playing a three-on-three game in an auxiliary gym; impressed, he contacted head coach Matt McMahon, who soon offered Morant a scholarship. On September 3, 2016, Morant committed to playing for Murray State during dinner at McMahon’s house. His father said, “Every parent wants their child to play at a big-time program, but what I realized is, don’t go where you want to be, go to where they want you.”
Ja Morant Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
On November 10, 2017, Morant debuted for Murray State with 7 points and a team-high 11 assists in a 118–61 victory over Brescia University. He recorded his first career double-double on December 12, 2017, with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists in a 69–55 loss to Saint Louis. He posted his first triple-double on December 28, recording 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists in an 80–52 win over Eastern Illinois. It was the second triple-double in school history and also the record for most assists at a CFSB Center game. Morant also had the third-most assists in a single game by a Murray State player. On February 1, 2018, he scored a season-high 23 points against Southeast Missouri State. After averaging 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, Morant earned first-team All-OVC with his teammates Jonathan Stark and Terrell Miller, and OVC All-Newcomer Team accolades. He became the seventh freshman in 25 years to accumulate 150 assists, 150 rebounds, and 10 blocks while shooting at least 42 percent from the field. Morant and Murray State advanced to the NCAA Tournament his freshman season after capturing an OVC championship in a 68–51 win over Belmont. Morant had 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in that game. Murray State would lose in its opening round game to West Virginia, however, falling 85–68 despite Morant’s 14 points.
Breakthrough (2019–Present)
Morant began to register on the radar of some scouts the summer of his sophomore season in 2018. He was one of 20 players invited to Chris Paul’s Elite Guard Camp, which Morant called, “an honor”. When his sophomore season began, Morant assumed a leading role for Murray State with the departures of key players Jonathan Stark and Terrell Miller. In his season debut, he recorded 26 points and 11 assists in a 74–53 win against Wright State. On November 24, 2018, Morant posted 29 points, a season-high 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 77–66 win over Missouri State, becoming the first Murray State player to ever record multiple triple-doubles. In his next game, he scored a season-high 38 points in a 78–72 loss to Alabama. By around December 2018, Morant was almost unanimously projected as a top-five selection in the 2019 NBA draft. On January 10, 2019, Morant was named to the midseason top 25 watch list for the John R. Wooden Award. On the same day, he broke the school record for most assists in a single game, with 18, while scoring 26 points against UT Martin. He established a new scoring career high nine days later on January 19, when he recorded 40 points, 11 assists, and 5 steals. At the end of the regular season, he was named OVC Player of the Year and first-team All-OVC, while leading the NCAA Division I in assists. He later earned first-team All-American honors from the United States Basketball Writers Association and second-team All-American honors from The Sporting News. On March 21, in an 83–64 win over fifth-seeded Marquette in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament, Morant posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists, becoming the eighth player to officially record a triple-double in the history of the tournament. Following Murray State’s loss in the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Morant announced his intention to forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2019 NBA draft.
Notable Works and Milestones
Morant was drafted second overall during the 2019 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. On July 2, 2019, he signed a four-year contract worth $39.6 million with the Grizzlies. On October 23, 2019, Morant made his NBA debut, starting in a 101–120 loss to the Miami Heat with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a block. On February 9, 2020, he recorded his first career triple-double in a 106–99 win over the Washington Wizards. At the end of the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and earned the NBA All-Rookie First Team honor. On December 23, 2020, Morant recorded a then career-high 44 points in a 131–119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. On May 21, 2021, in the newly implemented play-in tournament, Morant recorded 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead Memphis to a 117–112 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors, securing the Grizzlies’ first postseason berth in four seasons. Morant followed that up with 47 points and 7 assists in Game 2 of the playoffs. On October 20, 2021, in the Grizzlies’ season opener, Morant recorded 37 points and six assists in a 132–121 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On October 24, he scored 40 points while dishing out 10 assists in a 121–118 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. On February 28, 2023, Morant scored 28 of his 39 points in the third quarter and added 10 assists and 10 rebounds to achieve his 10th career triple-double in a 121–109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ja Morant Award Nominations
Ja Morant has received several nominations throughout his career, including being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020 and the All-NBA Second Team in 2022.
Ja Morant Awards Won
Ja Morant has won multiple prestigious awards, including the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020, the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2022, and has been named an NBA All-Star in 2022 and 2023.
Ja Morant Family
Ja Morant has a younger sister, Teniya, who grew up playing basketball with him in their backyard and now competes for Mississippi Valley State. He also has a daughter who was born on August 7, 2019.
Personal Life
Morant has the words “beneath no one”, advice his mother gave him, tattooed on his left arm. His athleticism often draws comparisons to Russell Westbrook, who Morant said is his favorite player because Westbrook is often overlooked, just like he was by college recruiters in high school.
