Ja Morant: 'I'd cook Michael Jordan one-on-one'
You'd be hard-pressed to find a young NBA player with a more unwavering self belief than Ja Morant.
The Memphis Grizzlies' high-flying point man is one of the best emerging hoopers in the Association, and after the scintillating showcase he put together last season — including posting 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game — it's easy to see why Morant is high on himself.
However, many would believe his confidence veered into the irrational department this past week, when Morant told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks that he'd "cook" Michael Jordan during the height of his career.
"I would've cooked him," Morant flatly told Rooks. "I wish I played in his generation. Just how he would go about the game, and the mindset he had, I would've liked to play against him.
"Nobody got more confidence than 12," he added. "I'll never say somebody's going to beat me one-on-one. I don't care [who] it is, or what sport. I want to be the goalie against [Lionel] Messi. Set it up, I'm confident."
On Monday, Chris Broussard said Morant would stand no chance in the hypothetical matchup, though he's not mad at the assertion.
"I love the mentality," Broussard said on "First Things First." "This is the mentality that allows you to go from Murray State to the All-Star Game.
"But there's no way, no way would Ja have cooked Jordan. Now, could Ja have scored on Jordan? Sure. Could he have crossed him up like Allen Iverson famously did? Sure. But who would've gotten the best of who? Jordan would've gotten the best of Ja. He's 6-foot-6. Ja is 6-foot-3. And to go along with that height advantage, he's just as athletic as Ja, if not more."
Ja Morant claims he'd cook Michael Jordan 1-on-1
Through both players' first three years, Jordan cooks Morant from a statistical standpoint.
Jordan played all 82 games in two of his first three seasons, while Morant has yet to surpass 70 in a singular campaign. Each had a Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-Rookie, and Second-Team All-NBA on their résumé heading into Year 4, but Jordan had three All-Star appearances to Morant's one, and finished sixth in MVP voting in 1985, while coming in second in 1987. He was also an All-NBA First-Teamer that same year, and led the NBA in scoring (37.1 PPG) and win shares (16.9).
From 1985-87, Jordan averaged 31.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.0 APG and 2.6 SPG. Morant has registered 21.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 7.1 APG and 1.0 SPG in his first three seasons.
Still, Nick Wright disagreed with Broussard, saying that Morant's sentiments were actually truthful based on players he's seen line it up with Jordan before.
"Both guys would've cooked each other. Of course, I'm saying Michael Jordan would've gotten 11 first. But if the question is, ‘Would Ja have gotten his,' [it's yes]. Kevin Johnson, Kobe, Allen Iverson all [got theirs.] I think Ja would cook him. Only Jordan acolytes and sycophants would act like Ja wouldn't get his."
Fans have spent years debating a mythical matchup between Jordan and LeBron James.
It looks like Morant wants to inject himself into the fray.
