Ja Morant is one of the most breathtaking athletes in the NBA. The 22-year-old guard for the Memphis Grizzlies plays like his only limitation on the court is his imagination. To watch Morant is to see a 6’3 guard with a slight frame challenge the giants that populate the paint in the NBA on a regular basis.
There are times when even Morant’s near-misses in the air feel like the most the thrilling thing in the league. When Morant actually finishes his most audacious plays, it’s closer to a religious experience than most things in life. That’s exactly what happened on Sunday night against the Lakers.
Morant was stripped by Avery Bradley during the first quarter against LA, but he refused to give up the layup. Instead, Morant chased down Bradley in the open floor, and skied for a two-handed block that might be the best we’ve seen this season.
Just watch it for yourself.
The screenshot is almost as good as the play itself.
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Morant isn’t really undersized for a point guard, but he’s still often the smallest player on the floor. To see him make a block that would be impressive even for a 7-footer is completely surreal.
There are so many great things about this play, but don’t lose sight of the fact that Morant kept the ball in bounds and immediately attacked on the other end. Often times the NBA’s best blocks go out of bounds and the opposing offense retains possession, but not this time.
The Grizzlies are one of the great stories in the league, and Morant is going to be their leader for a long time. We can’t wait to see what he does next.
