Mischief Morant: Former Grizzlies star gets a shot at redemption in Portland

[p]Regulation wasn't enough to determine a winner, sending the contest to overtime. The score swung back and forth in a nail-biting thriller. With less than a minute remaining, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/memphis-grizzlies/U1I5YSDa/"]Grizzlies[/a] star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morant-ja/SEBuZR1d/"]Ja Morant[/a] caught the ball at the top of the key and, guarded by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-stephen/xx3787qL/"]Steph Curry[/a], attacked downhill with his right hand. Curry initially played excellent defense, forcing Morant to retreat beyond the three-point line.[/p][p]Morant crossed over to his left hand, took a couple of rhythm dribbles, then surged downhill again, this time attacking the left side. Curry tried to contain him, but Morant created just enough separation to release a two-footed floater that was pure—it didn't even touch the rim before dropping straight through the net.[/p][p]The basket gave Memphis a crucial three-point lead.[/p][embed guid="58feb13c-e24c-4b05-8926-587fe4624111" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJa7oO8_Xag" social-type="youtube" /][p]The Warriors couldn't find an answer. They came up empty on their next possession, and the Grizzlies regained the ball. Once again, it was the Ja Morant show. With nine seconds remaining and five on the shot clock, the point guard drove into the paint, spun around his defender, and converted another floater to put an exclamation point on Memphis' victory.[/p][p]Morant finished with 35 points, six rebounds, and six assists.[/p][p]The Grizzlies returned to the playoffs after a three-year drought. And despite losing in the first round to the Utah Jazz 4-1, the bright future was impossible to miss. Morant, just in his second NBA season, averaged 30.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in the postseason. A star was born.[/p][embed guid="22864896-43b7-41c3-9b7b-c7767d792b53" url="https://x.com/overtime/status/1400571478643556355" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Overlooked and unwanted[/h2][p]Born in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-carolina-state-bulldogs/YagMyk98/"]South Carolina[/a] to athletic parents, Ja grew up chasing a basketball in his backyard. His father, Tee, was a high school teammate of Ray Allen, while his mother, Jamie, played basketball in high school and softball in college.[/p][p]Tee taught his son a step-back jumper and bought tractor tires to help him practice soft landings. As a child, Morant often played against older kids, repeatedly telling his mother that he [b]“wasn't worried about the big kids.”[/b][/p][p]Morant starred at Crestwood High School, graduating as the program's all-time leading scorer. He also earned All-Region Most Valuable Player honors for three consecutive years and was named South Carolina Class 3A All-State in both his junior and senior seasons. [/p][p]The overlooked guard finished his senior year averaging 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game.[/p][p]Yet his standout high school career wasn't enough to convince blue-blood programs to offer him a scholarship. Morant wasn't ranked in the 2017 recruiting class, and his only high-major offer came from the University of South Carolina.[/p][p]He also received offers from Duquesne, Maryland Eastern Shore, South Carolina State, and Wofford, and was close to making a decision when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/murray-state-racers/Od4DWyvG/"]Murray State[/a] assistant coach James Kane discovered him by accident in July 2016.[/p][embed guid="c3c31d00-a550-4f32-8aec-09fb534a5979" url="https://x.com/JaMorant/status/1468417718604947467" social-type="twitter" /][p]Kane attended a camp to watch another player he hoped would come to Murray State. Instead, he saw Morant playing in a three-on-three game and immediately called the head coach, Matt McMahon.[/p][p]Murray State offered Morant a scholarship, and he committed two months later during a dinner at McMahon’s house.[/p][h2]Top collegiate passer[/h2][p]Morant took college basketball by storm, shining bright from the beginning.[/p][p]In December, he posted his first career triple-double after tallying 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists. After averaging 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game in his debut collegiate season, Morant was named to the first-team All-OVC, while also earning a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer Team.[/p][p]Then, he helped the Racers to the OVC championship, which guaranteed them a spot in March Madness.[/p][embed guid="a18992f1-620f-4a65-90b1-79bda11b4743" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qut1CZQ0S2I" social-type="youtube" /][p]In his sophomore year, Morant took on a true leadership role and became the team's key player, delivering a massive breakthrough. He nearly doubled his points production, averaging 24.5 points per game, adding 10 assists, breaking the OVC single-season assists record that stood for 32 years.[/p][p]Morant led the NCAA Division I in assists and became the first NCAA player to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game in a single season. He snatched the OVC Player of the Year trophy.[/p][p]After his sophomore season concluded, Morant announced he would declare for the NBA draft.[/p][p]In 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Morant with the second overall pick, betting on his elite athleticism and immense potential. Standing at 6-foot-2, Morant had already impressed the NCAA with breathtaking dunks.[/p][p]There was no doubt he was ready for the next level. He immediately delivered in Memphis – recording double-doubles, triple-doubles, and winning layups. After leading all rookies in points and assists, he was crowned the Rookie of the Year.[/p][p]The point guard helped the Grizzlies reemerge as a playoff contender, leading Memphis to four consecutive postseason appearances beginning with the 2021 play-in tournament victory over the Warriors. In his third NBA season, Morant averaged a career-high 27.4 points per game. A year later, he set a new career best with 8.1 assists per contest.[/p][p]Come February 2022, Morant exploded for a career-high 52 points in a 118-105 win over the Spurs.[/p][p]His spectacular performance was highlighted by a one-handed alley-oop catch and finish at the buzzer, one of the NBA's defining plays of the season, capping his breakout campaign by winning the Most Improved Player Award and earning his first All-Star start.[/p][embed guid="9b768b73-8b4d-40b3-b5b1-24468e38303b" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGQjEBmdgVQ" social-type="youtube" /][h2]Off-court controversies [/h2][p]But just when he was reaching the ultimate high, a series of controversial events followed. In March 2023, Morant went live on Instagram and recorded himself waving a gun while in a strip club in Colorado.[/p][p]The NBA suspended the star for eight games without pay for [b]“conduct detrimental to the league.” [/b]Colorado police labeled the video as [b]“concerning”[/b]. Just two months later, another video of Morant flashing a firearm broke free on the internet. The organization instantly suspended its franchise player from all team activities. [/p][p]At the start of the 2023-2024 season, Morant served a 25-game ban.[/p][embed guid="1eed660d-83ea-4c85-805c-a87f465a3a6e" url="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1657704154800717826" social-type="twitter" /][p]In November, the team suspended Morant for one game because of a heated argument with coach Tuomas Iisalo following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[/p][p]From that point on, the relationship between Morant and the Grizzlies appeared visibly strained.[/p][p]The superstar also dealt with numerous injuries. His shoulder and elbow injuries required season-ending surgeries. And, because of disciplinary and health reasons, Morant was limited to 79 games over the past three seasons. Since the bond between the Grizzlies and Morant was undeniably broken, the franchise aggressively pursued a trade before last season’s trade deadline.[/p][p]However, there was minimal interest. That is...until the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portland-trail-blazers/4Awl14c5/"]Portland Trail Blazers[/a] called at the end of June.[/p][p]One of the least expected teams showed interest in the former No. 2 pick. Memphis liked the deal and exchanged Morant for Jerami Grant, Kris Murray, and $1 million in cash considerations.[/p][embed guid="93a5c3c8-d934-46f6-a0c4-070323818b32" url="https://x.com/trailblazers/status/2071760708233212327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2071760708233212327%7Ctwgr%5Ec22155376638e3a8d5525705cb9ef78673607644%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fblazers-grizzlies-ja-morant-trade" social-type="twitter" /][p]The move came across as shocking since the Trail Blazers also have point guards Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Scoot Henderson on the roster. But under new offensive-minded head coach Micah Nori, all four guards are expected to play significant roles in Portland's climb through the Western Conference.[/p][h2]A second chance [/h2][p]Because of Morant’s history, the trade value sank for the Trail Blazers. However, restoring it might be even easier – as long as Morant stays out of trouble and is healthy, he can have an undeniable, immediate, and enormous impact on the team.[/p][p]The star will turn 27 in August and is far from fulfilling his potential. After his controversies, the league nearly wrote him off. Now, Morant has a chance to prove he still has a whole lot left in his tank and can use the move to revive his career.[/p][embed guid="574237db-bc26-4682-9ef4-116784231aa6" url="https://x.com/memgrizz/status/2071766318760501437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2071766318760501437%7Ctwgr%5Ec22155376638e3a8d5525705cb9ef78673607644%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fblazers-grizzlies-ja-morant-trade" social-type="twitter" /][p]When he first arrived in Memphis, the Grizzlies weren't contenders. With Morant leading the way, they returned to the playoffs and became relevant again before their franchise cornerstone ran into trouble. While his name frequently made headlines for the wrong reasons, Morant is also remembered for breathtaking athleticism, spectacular shot-making, and unforgettable performances.[/p][p]One question remains: can he leave the past behind and transform another franchise into a contender—this time with a championship run?[/p]