Despite the fact that the Memphis Grizzlies finished second only to the Phoenix Suns in 2021-22, Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, believed his team missed out on the Larry O’Brien Trophy because of his injury.
Morant sustained a knee injury in the second half of the Golden State Warriors’ Game 3 loss and did not return in Game 4. The Warriors defeated Memphis in the second round of the playoffs before defeating the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics respectively to win their fourth NBA title in eight years.
“It was pretty much our year but that injury cause me to be out,” the 23-year-old said. “And now you have to change lineups and you know guys playing without me. I feel like that’s the most frustrating part for me. You know, being out there and not being able to compete.”
Morant appeared in his first All-Star game last season, was titled to the All-NBA Second Team and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year. He put his name on everyone’s conversation after averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game.
He did, however, struggle at times to maintain a presence on the court. He missed 25 games last season due to injury.
His claims appear to be unsubstantiated by reality, as the Grizzlies finished 20-5 without him, including a Game Five victory over the Warriors.
The Warriors’ first playoff game against the Grizzlies was also thrilling even though he didn’t participate in it. The Warriors won by a solitary point, 117-116. In the next game, the Grizzlies easily evened the score. The Warriors took the series lead after winning the third match.
’Some people don’t like me,’ says Morant
The All-Star guard recently said on the Pivot Podcast, hosted by former NFL players Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor, and Ryan Clark, that while his game is appreciated by some, he is not the most popular player.
“Just because I’m me and I speak on whatever I want to and say what I’m feeling at the time that some people don’t like me. So that’s why I bust their ass,” he said.
He was named the NBA’s most despised player on social media in July 2022. In the same month, an incorrect quote attributed to Morant was read on an ESPN show hosted by David Jacoby and NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins.
Jacoby falsely claimed Morant had ever said that Michael Jordan would be considered “just another superstar” if MJ played in today’s NBA. Jacoby later apologized to Morant and Taylor Rooks on Twitter.
Morant’s presence in WNBA finals
Morant was present with Indiana Pacers’ shooting guard Buddy Hield, Miami Heat’s point guard Kyle Lowry, and Sacramento Kings’ Quinn Cook in the WNBA Finals Las Vegas Aces against the Connecticut Sun in Nevada
The Aces defeated the Sun by a score of 85-71 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Morant responded to the Aces winning the WNBA championship in 2022 with a single emoji and a single word via Twitter.
💍 ringskii @LVAces
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) September 18, 2022
Morant also tweeted the quote after ESPN posted a video of him playing the role of a cameraman during the WNBA finals game.
He is very active on his social media platform, with over 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Morant has more followers than Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler and Warriors stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.