Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant made headlines earlier this month when he proclaimed that he was no longer going to do dunks to protect yourself from possible injuries. That self-imposed ban lasted exactly as long as expected.
Midway through the third quarter of the Grizzlies’ 127-121 victory over the defending champion Celtics on Saturday night (their first win in Boston since 2013), Morant drove from the baseline and saw Kristaps Porzingis waiting in the ring. Morant turned his back to the rim and soared through the paint for a ridiculous reverse double-pump, two of his 32 points on the night. He added nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals in one of his best performances of the season.
You might think Morant was joking about the whole no-dive thing, especially after watching Saturday night’s acrobatic display, but he made it clear in his original comments that he was being sincere.
“I’m not trying to do any dunks.” Morante said after the Grizzlies’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks on November 3. “Everyone thinks I’m lying. I’m very serious.
“Sometimes they knock me out in the air and [a foul] They don’t call me, and now I’m gone longer than I’m supposed to be. Sometimes the fault can be punished; I still hit the ground, but after the match you might feel that little drop. So I just pick and choose, man. Hey, two points are two points. I do it. That’s all that matters.”
Earlier this season, Morant, one of the league’s top high flyers, was hit in the air by Los Angeles Lakers big man Christian Koloko and crashed to the ground. The unpleasant landing left him with a partial posterior hip subluxation and multiple pelvic muscle strains, forcing him to be sidelined for nearly three weeks. It was pure luck that the injury wasn’t another season-ender for Morant, who was limited to nine games in 2023-24 due to a suspension and shoulder surgery.
It makes a lot of sense for Morant to prioritize his health as he tries to get the Grizzlies back to the top of the Western Conference, but Saturday’s highlight was a reminder that it will be difficult for him to tone down in the heat of the moment. It’s one thing to take it easy on a solo fast break and another to counter your ingrained instincts on a hard drive to the basket.
With or without dunks, the Grizzlies are just happy to have Morant back on the court. They are now 10-4 in the 14 games they have played this season, compared to 6-4 without him. After their big win over the Celtics, they are in third place in the Western Conference at 16-8.
