How Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant went from underdog to alpha dog
By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist
Ja Morant has no problem being cast as the underdog, so being the leader of the eighth-seeded team in the NBA’s Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies, isn’t an issue for him.
He was the underdog in high school, overlooked enough that it took some extra diligence from a Murray State assistant just to get Morant from Sumter, South Carolina into a mid-major program.
From an underdog town to an underdog college, now to an underdog team, that same word was perhaps unsurprisingly used to title the opening segment of a new docuseries about his life to this point.
Morant doesn’t currently have a lot of problems, but if there is one it’s this: there is precious little chance of him being seen as an underdog much longer. Not with that skill set. Not with his stardom rising this quickly.
Wasn’t enough," said Morant on Wednesday night, after his spectacular, franchise-record 47-point performance could not prevent the Grizzlies from falling to the top-seeded Utah Jazz, thereby leveling their first round series at 1-1.
Not enough for the win, sure, but enough to bestow further notice upon Morant, who is blossoming into a superstar with each passing hurdle and looks every bit a player who’s going to be doing special things for a long time.
"Give credit to Ja, man, he had 50 damn near," Utah’s Donovan Mitchell said. "He’s a hell of a player, I respect the hell out of his game. He fought."
Morant is playing like a guy with nothing to lose, which is exactly what the Grizzlies need him to do. Attacking relentlessly, one of his most difficult moments in Game 2 also said much about how he operates.
After getting blocked and sent crashing to the hardwood by the defensive tower that is Rudy Gobert, Morant promptly jumped up, announced he was going to keep coming for the rim, and did.
"After two games of this series, it’s obvious Utah does not have anyone who can stay in front of (Morant)," wrote the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Mark Giannotto. "It’s a flaw the Grizzlies can take advantage of in every game the rest of the way. It’s a flaw that, once Memphis comes home, might supersede some of the flaws Utah exposed Wednesday night."
The docuseries, titled "Promiseland" and available on Crackle beginning June 3, gives a telling and enjoyable look into how Morant got to this point. The 21-year-old’s family took the cameras through his childhood home, where his bedroom had quotes from LeBron James and Michael Jordan printed onto the bright orange walls.
There were photos of his first official visit to Murray State, a mocked-up magazine cover proclaiming future greatness and photos of just how small he was, which, of course, was part of why an uber-talented kid with remarkable shooting and dribbling ability didn’t get the college attention he warranted.
Yet he kept working, much of the toil taking place on a concrete outdoor court built in the yard of the family home, flanked by an array of makeshift workout equipment.
He was trained there by his father, Tee, a former high school teammate of Ray Allen who played overseas before deciding to focus on family life.
"My dad gave up his pro dreams to raise me," Morant said. "My parents gave it their all. Preaching and teaching me all the right things. They made me who I am."
The Grizzlies’ series with the Jazz has been a little overshadowed, something that’s bound to happen in the West, with so many plotlines emerging – the Los Angeles Lakers locked in a battle with the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers seemingly heading toward imminent peril of elimination.
Yet it has been as hard-fought and entertaining a pair of games as we’ve seen in this postseason so far, as Morant took it upon himself to get after the Jazz and with Utah not always able to conjure the appropriate answer.
Zion Williamson — a one-time AAU teammate of Morant’s — has always been the member of the 2019 draft class to generate the most attention, but Morant, last season’s Rookie of the Year, is getting no shortage of focus from opposing defenses.
Memphis is not a one-man team as Morant is supported by the likes of Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas, but the Grizzlies do largely go as their point guard goes, his spirit and emotional cadence providing the guide in a way that makes you question how he’s still so young.
Only George Mikan, nearly 70 years ago, scored more points in his first two playoff games than Morant’s tally of 73. Morant also became the fourth-youngest to score 40-plus in a postseason game. The list of those younger is a few guys you’ve heard of: James, Magic Johnson and Luka Doncic.
FOX Bet has Memphis as a five-point underdog for Game 3 and +20000 for the title, but they’re still around, still alive, still fighting. There is no secret about where their energy and tactical game plan is coming from. They will put the ball in Morant’s hands and the Jazz will do all they can to stop him.
As Gobert’s big block and its aftermath showed, you can indeed stop Morant once in a while. But he’ll keep on coming, time and again. And he has time on his side.
"I was right back inside the bank," he said. "I’m not afraid."
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
