After a tightly contested loss to evenly matched Huston Rockets on Monday, Ja Morant led Memphis Grizzlies flew out to AT&T Center today looking to get even. Grizzlies defeated the Spurs with 115-129 to enter the winning column. Following Thursday’s triumph over Spurs, Grizzlies now sit cozily at 3rd spot with a 26-15 record in the West, where it’s a dogfight for every little inch.
Ja Morant had an efficient night in particular, shooting 9-of-13 from field and 50% from beyond the arc. The high-flying point guard tallied double-double with 21 points and 12 dimes along with 4 boards and 2 takeaways. However, the highlight of the game came late in 4th quarter when Ja unleased his signature behind-the-head one-handed powerful jam over the 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama.
The clip of the poster has since gone viral with sports-enthusiasts circulating it in every online circuit. Although the dunk was spectacular, it wasn’t added to the score since it occurred after the referees had blown the whistle.
Nonetheless, the difficulty and artistry of the slam were so impressive that it caught the attention of his peer, Trae Young, who shared his candid reaction on Twitter: “Y’all really believed Ja when he said he wasn’t dunking anymore.”
Y’all really believed Ja when he said he wasn’t dunking anymore 😏🤣
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 16, 2025
Calling cap on Ja’s previous comments from earlier this season, Young called out gullible NBA fans for trusting Morant. Memphis’s point guard made striking remarks in early December, saying he was abstaining from dunking to protect his health, doubling down with “Y’all think I’m lying. I’m dead serious.”
However, since then, he has added numerous notable, fancy dunks to his career highlight reel, including a mid-air double-pump throwdown on the defending champs, Boston Celtics.
Ja Morant announced that he is “not trying to dunk at all”
After a road-loss to Dallas Mavericks on 3rd December, Morant spoke to ESPN, talking about why he is quitting dunking. Explaining his decision, Ja said that he was prioritizing his health as an athlete. Dunking involves an inherent risk of injury, especially when the rim attacker is airborne. He further elaborated that the risk-reward ratio is disproportionate, considering how referees can rob players of fair calls.
Sometimes I get knocked out the air and [a foul] don’t get called, and now I’m out longer than what I’m supposed to be, sometimes the foul might get called; I still hit the floor, but after the game you might feel that little fall. So, I just pick and choose man. Hey, two points is two points. I get it done. That’s all that matters.
Ja Morant on his decision
Ja dunks look even smoother in #phantomcam 🎥 pic.twitter.com/TflyKTo1gM
— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2024
Since then, Morant has gone against his own words on numerous occasions. To date, he has made 9 of his 11 dunk attempts as per NBA. Staying true to his gravity-defying, above-the-rim nature, Morant is known for his flight mode and his ability to attack the rim with aggression. Morant’s game is somewhat reminiscent of Derrick Rose’s early explosive style of play.
However, injuries are beginning to slow him down, and he is starting to realize that. In the 2024-25 season alone, Morant has missed 17 of the Grizzlies’ 38 games due to a right shoulder sprain. On Friday, San Antonio will get another shot to redeem themselves against the Grizzlies after today’s disappointing loss. Stay tuned for chapter two of Morant vs. Wemby.
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