Ja Morant

Decisions for 2019-20 NBA performance awards will be based on play up to and including March 11, when the league suspended the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The season is slated to restart with eight regular-season seeding games per team at the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida, on July 30.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the news and noted that the awards include MVP, Rookie of Year, Sixth Man, Defensive Player and Coach of Year.

Final season stats will include the regular-season games that will take place in Florida, per Charania.

"The decision to exclude seeding games from awards voting ensures a fair process in which players and coaches from all 30 teams will have the same opportunity to be honored," the NBA said in a note to teams, per Charania.

The top eight teams in the Eastern and Western Conference, as well as the six teams within reach of a playoff spot in either conference, have been invited to Florida. The eight teams encompassing the lowest portions of the standings have seen their seasons come to a close.

The voting process and winners will be announced by the league soon, according to Charania.

An ESPN Forecast panel of experts was conducted on May 30 to determine picks for the award winners. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo earned the panel's NBA MVP award with 76 percent of the first-place votes. Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward LeBron James garnered the remainder of the first-place choices.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant was a near-unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year. He was excellent in his own right, but a Morant vs. Zion Williamson ROTY battle could have been epic. Unfortunately, Williamson suffered a torn meniscus during the preseason and didn't suit up until January.

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse (59 percent of first-place votes) was the choice for Coach of the Year. The most hotly contested race was in the Sixth Man category, with no player earning more than 35 percent of first-place votes. That player was Los Angeles Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell, but he faces stiff competition that even includes teammate Lou Williams.

Antetokounmpo took home the Defensive Player of the Year choice. If he wins DPOY and MVP, then he will be just the third player in league history to earn that dual accomplishment in one season, with Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and ex-Houston Rockets superstar Hakeem Olajuwon doing so once each.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, who went from bench player to All-Star in one year, got 53 percent of first-place votes for the Most Improved Player honor.

Morant appears to be the biggest lock among those awards, with Antetokounmpo not too far behind. James was gaining some steam as an MVP candidate in the later stages of the year, however, with his Lakers cruising to a certain No. 1 seed in the Western Conference following a nine-game win streak and then an 11-1 stretch soon afterward.

The rest of the big awards at least appear to be contested in some fashion, but right now, the league is focused on pulling off the restart, which begins July 30 with the Pelicans playing the Utah Jazz.

It doesn't sound like Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant intends to take advantage of the NBA's anonymous hotline used to provide information about players who may be in violation of the Florida campus rules. 

Asked by reporters about the tip line, Morant essentially pleaded the fifth: "I didn't see nothing, I didn't hear nothing, and ain't saying nothing." 

Even though Morant doesn't sound like he plans on using the hotline, it has reportedly received some calls since teams arrived in Florida last week. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Tuesday that the league has handed down warnings to some players amid multiple calls put into the anonymous tip line. 

Some players share Morant's viewpoint about not wanting to be seen as a snitch. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert told reporters he doesn't intend to use the hotline, calling it "sort of petty" even though he does hope everyone is following the rules. 

The campus concept allows the NBA to operate a controlled environment for the 22 teams in Florida for the season restart.

The only known incident thus far involved Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes and Houston Rockets forward Bruno Caboclo being put into 10-day quarantine for accidentally violating health and safety protocols by straying too far from the established campus boundaries.

Teams have been conducting normal practices since last week in anticipation of the season reboot on July 30.

When he watches Ja Morant play, watches him breeze up the court wearing the Memphis Grizzlies jersey he himself wore not so long ago, Zach Randolph can't help but smile.

"He could be my son!" the 38-year-old Randolph laughs, pointing out that his eldest, at 21, is actually older than the 20-year-old rookie star.

But it's not the thought of the next generation that's got him smiling.

Randolph, who played for the Grizzlies for eight memorable seasons, regularly was making the trip from his home in Los Angeles back to Memphis after retiring in 2019 and before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down the 2019-20 season. It gave him the opportunity to become close with Morant, the team's rookie star and second overall pick in last June's draft—and also to see the impact Morant is having on the fanbase. And doing so, what he sees more than anything is not a next generation but a continuation of the last one.

"He's just like me," Randolph says. "Blue-collar player. Honest. Humble. Heart like a giant. He gives back. The people of Memphis see that Ja is just like them, too: a hard worker, where nothing's been given to him.”

"This city is the best place for him. For his personality."

---

 30 teams, 30 days: The biggest story from each NBA team ahead of the league's return.

Atl | Bos | Bkn | Cha | Chi | Cle
Dal | Den | Det | GS | Hou | Ind
LAC | LAL | Mem | Mia | Mil | Min
NO | NY | OKC | Orl | Phi | Pho
Por | Sac | SA | Tor | Uta | Was

---

Randolph has followed his former club closely to see where the franchise would head as it rebuilt from the Grit and Grind era. Few might have predicted the Grizzlies would have a chance to make the playoffs at this point, as the NBA reboots in Orlando late this month. Randolph likes what he sees, though. "The future is bright for these young Grizzlies," he says. "I think as an organization, we're headed in the right direction.

"The sky is the limit for Ja. I just love his leadership. The thing he's accomplished already, being a franchise player, leading this team as a rookie." Randolph laughs again, thinking of the effect Morant has had on the franchise, beyond his court vision, beyond his electrifying dunks: "Half the gym be Murray State fans."

This, more than anything, is what we've come to expect of Morant, from where we first met him in small Murray, Kentucky, to Memphis. Wherever he goes, he brings with him a magnetism. People must watch him, must support him, must be with him.

"It's his mentality," teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. says. "The fans in Memphis are very hungry. They love the fact that they're always the underdog somewhat, in some way. It's honestly a perfect fit."

Morant relishes the same thing. When people have counted his team out. When they can't imagine a school they've never heard of beating a fifth seed in the NCAA tournament. When they predict his NBA team won't crack 27 wins. Like his city, "he excels when people think he's the underdog," Murray State assistant coach Casey Long says.

"We can always talk about what he does in the gym, but it's the stuff he does outside that makes him a complete professional," Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins says. "The amount of film that he watches, the amount of dialogue he has with his teammates. He is building that chemistry and becoming that leader."

"He's a guy who leads by example—doesn't say too much, but he's very good at communicating what he wants to do on the court in terms of direction," Jackson says. "As a point guard you've got to be able to do that, be an extension of the coach. He does a great job of that."

And for Morant, it's not just about personal expectations. It's about a feeling of collective pride. "He wears the city that he's in on his shoulder," Long says. "He takes unbelievable pride in not only becoming the fabric of that city but wanting to put it on the map."

Memphians have embraced him, and he them, becoming a regular at local institutions such as the Arcade Restaurant, where Elvis Presley used to sit near the back door so he could slip out easily if a fan approached him out of hand.

When Morant and Jackson came in back in January, Morant asked for whatever his waiter would like to serve him; he'd be open to anything. "We brought him Elvis' favorite fried peanut butter banana sandwich," says Kelcie Zepatos, who runs the restaurant (Memphis' oldest, having opened in 1919) with her husband, Jeff Zepatos.

Kelcie remembers the atmosphere during the season—energy Morant helped bring: "It's electrifying. You can feel the buzz in the streets," she says. "Even for dinner before the games, you see everybody walking around."

When Morant signed his rookie contract with the Grizzlies in July, he brought his family, about eight people, to the famed Majestic Grille on Main Street, about two blocks from where the Grizzlies play. The restaurant used to be a silent-picture theater and has been around for over 100 years. Morant came in, wearing a tie, happy to be with his loved ones, embarking on his dream of becoming a pro.

"The whole family was tickled, just sweet," says Deni Reilly, who runs the restaurant with her husband, Patrick Reilly. "I remember thinking: He's so young! We were all excited about getting such a high pick."

Reilly's seven-year-old son, Seamus, immediately became one of Morant's biggest fans. Every time Morant runs down the court and scores inside, Seamus walks closer to the television and exclaims: "That quick guy! That is the quick guy!" Quick guy is his nickname for Morant.

Mark Griffin, a manager of one of the city's many local Huey's restaurants, has been a Grizzlies fan ever since the team moved from Vancouver. "That was a big deal, when we finally got a franchise," Griffin says. He felt like Morant was the right pick for Memphis. "You really loved the guy right off the bat. We started to click immediately with him and his underdog story. He's just so fun to watch."

That's what motivates season-ticket holder Lucas Horrell, 34, to make a four-hour round trip from his home in Missouri just to see the team play at least once a week. He sits near Morant's parents and has gotten to know the family a bit.

"It's almost like a vacation in a way for me: getting away, enjoying the game," he says.

It's given many hope for the future. "He's helping develop the new Grizzlies identity," Reilly says. "Even with the goggles that he does, he's given us a personality."

Adds Horrell, "When he's on the court, the whole team just seems to flow better."

The results on the court, indeed, have been a huge improvement. Averaging 17.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, Morant is the heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year and has helped the Grizzlies to a 32-33 record after they went 33-49 last season and 22-60 the season before. They enter the restart in eighth place in the Western Conference standings, 3.5 games ahead of the Trail Blazers, Kings and Pelicans. If all goes according to the NBA’s plan, teams will play a final eight regular-season games when play resumes, after which the eighth-place team will make the playoffs if it's ahead by more than four games or play a play-in tournament against the ninth-place team if not.

Morant appears to be very ready for the challenge, to get back at it. When players were allowed to resume practices together, Jackson says, "We were in there as much as possible, literally. It felt like we lived in there, almost. That's how we like it, anyway."

Morant also gained 12 pounds of muscle during the shutdown, according to his former Murray State coaches, with whom he still constantly checks in. Not that it's all basketball, all the time. Morant, who became a father last August and is an active Instagrammer of photos of his daughter, now has more than hoops to talk about with his old coaches. They talk about first smiles. Cleaning up. Diapers. Giggles. First teeth. Crawls. Staying up all night. He joked with the coaches recently about how they all manage to get some sleep.

"We're watching him becoming a man in front of our eyes," Long says.

A man with that same demeanor he had in college, eager to make his mark, eager to prove people wrong. "He has kept that same hunger," says Tim Kaine, another Murray State assistant coach. "He just stays focused, always being in the moment."

"I see a great commitment from him every single day to get better," Murray State head coach Matt McMahon says. "That'll really allow him to continue to grow into his stardom for the next 15, 20 years.

"He's a once-in-a-lifetime player."

One who just seems to fit with the small-town feel of Memphis, same as he did in Murray, Kentucky, and Dazell, South Carolina, where he was born and raised. That's something his high school coach, Dwayne Edwards of Crestwood High, hopes he never forgets.

Edwards attended a Grizzlies game this season and proudly wore his Crestwood basketball shirt. He spotted his former player making highlight-reel dunks, absorbing contact, dazzling, finishing. He looked comfortable. He looked like he belonged.

Edwards thought back to a conversation he had with Morant when he was drafted by Memphis, one he's had with him regularly over the years, since high school: "Regardless of where you're at, remember where you are from," Edwards told Morant. "Be proud of where you are from. Please, always remember. Always remember where you started."

         

Mirin Fader is a staff writer for B/R Mag. She's written for the Orange County Register, espnW.com, SI.com and Slam. Her work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association of America, the Los Angeles Press Club and the Best American Sports Writing series. Follow her on Twitter: @MirinFader.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie sensation Ja Morant surprised his dad with a new car Wednesday.

Morant posted a video of his father's reaction to the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat:

.@JaMorant got his dad a new car

His biggest fan since before the NBA 👏 https://t.co/OqQoEoHjbg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 8, 2020

During a June 2019 interview with Clinton Yates of The Undefeated, the 20-year-old Murray State product credited his dad, Tee Morant, for helping him become the player he is through training and keeping his ego in check:

"My dad trained me my whole life, so, that's where we get our connection. Then once I got old enough to actually know, like, what he was doing with some of the stuff he did, I realized that it helped me. … Like him, calling me overrated and stuff. Like this past season, I heard that every away game and it didn't bother me because I could take it from my dad, so, the fans didn't bother me at all."

Morant has shone in his debut campaign with the Grizzlies. He averaged 17.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds across 59 appearances before the 2019-20 season was halted March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eXUXgp7-wk

Memphis is one of the 22 teams involved in the NBA's restart plans, with its first game scheduled for July 31 against the Portland Trail Blazers as play resumes at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.

The South Carolina native presented his dad with an awesome gift and a memorable moment before the focus shifts back toward basketball.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs shook not just the NFL but also the sports world Monday by announcing their 10-year, $450 million partnership, the richest deal in North American sports history, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Mahomes will be under contract through 2031, five years longer than any other athlete in the NFL. And yet, no other player is more deserving. He is an MVP and a Super Bowl champion, and he's already leaving his mark on the NFL record book.

But this got us thinking. Who in the NBA would be worthy of such an earth-shattering, maximum-level investment? Who can we expect to have a long career and to perform at an All-NBA level over the next decade?

Below are the names that came to mind. Hit the Bleacher Report app to share your list.

   

Zion Williamson

The 2019 No. 1 overall pick is an obvious candidate. At just 20 years old, Zion Williamson is the second player in NBA history to collect 23 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 55 percent—Shaquille O'Neal is the other.

But Zion isn't just a stat-stuffer. His impact was decisive, as he makes the Pelicans 12.2 points better per 100 possessions. He has taken center stage with force, regularly attacking some of the most renowned bigs in the game in Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. And he still has plenty of room to grow.

Williamson's jump shot and handle are a work in progress, as is his recognition on the defensive side. In fact, he registered in just the 23rd percentile in rim deterrence and just the 52nd percentile in rim contests per 75 possessions, according to BBall Index.

Despite all this, the Pelicans rank in the 95th percentile on defense with Williamson on floor, holding opponents to just 103.9 points per 100 possessions.

Plus, he has made the Pelicans an international brand. From nationally televised games to deals with Mercedes, Nike, Gatorade and nearly a dozen others, Williamson has brought attention to a city that's lost two franchise icons to Los Angeles in the past 10 years.

His long-term health is a concern given the knee injury that kept him from debuting until late January and his 6'6", 284-pound size, but that is the only thing that could prevent Zion from being the next face of the NBA. But based on what we've seen so far, it'd be well worth the risk.

—Preston Ellis

   

Jayson Tatum

Relative youth is a prerequisite for any hypothetical 10-year contract. Jayson Tatum, 22, checks that box. A decadelong pact would take him through his early-30s, aligning quite nicely with his prime.

This is more so a question of whether that prime is worth being tethered to from start to almost finish. And it is.

So few players are as comfortable generating offensive looks out of nothing. Tatum's escape-dribble three has become one of the league's deadliest weapons on the more glamorous end, and he's recently reached the rim enough that his game no longer feels like it stalls before the basket. And while his defensive role isn't the most exhaustive, he provides help at an All-NBA level.

Tatum's next frontier is playmaking. Can he have that Kevin Durant-like awakening? We can't be sure. It feels like he can. He's shown the capacity to make more complicated passes.

Even if he never makes a significant leap as a facilitator, his game stands to age far better than those of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Zion Williamson. He spent a good chunk of his rookie and sophomore seasons gorging on assisted threes and buckets in transition. If his star at all burns out over the next decade, there's a layer of plug-and-play to him that many of his peers just don't have.

—Dan Favale

   

Trae Young

In 2013, LeBron James called Allen Iverson "pound for pound, the greatest player ever."

While Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has about an inch and 15 pounds on the former Philadelphia 76ers All-Star, four-time scoring champion and 2000-01 Most Valuable Player, Young is a modern-day Iverson.

Already an All-Star in his second year, the 21-year old just needs a little more experience and a better roster around him. Young can power an offense by himself, especially impressive for a 6'1" guard who weighs in at 180 pounds. It took a handful of years before the Sixers found the right balance of defenders and complementary scorers around Iverson to advance to the 2000-01 Finals.

At a minimum, such an investment in Young would give the Atlanta Hawks their marquee name for the next decade and a chance to beat any team on a given night. With some wise roster moves, Atlanta and Young could be a perennial playoff contender in the Eastern Conference through the 2020s.

—Eric Pincus

   

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Whenever you're handing out a long-term contract, there's some worry the last few years will be dead weight. You want to pick a player who's old enough to have proved what he can be but young enough that a 10-year contract won't take him into the range when most players retire.

Giannis Antetokounmpo fits squarely into this time frame. At 25 years old, he is the reigning MVP and highly likely to win the award a second year in a row. That's the same age LeBron James was in summer 2010, after which he won two more MVPs and made eight straight Finals.

Giannis is not only arguably the best player in the world today, but he's also shown a consistent willingness and motivation to get better. That won't go away as he hits his physical peak over the next five years, and his playmaking ability will allow him to age gracefully much in the same way James has.

I'll take that bet every time.

—Sean Highkin

   

Ja Morant

A 10-year contract for Memphis Grizzlies phenom Ja Morant may not be long enough, as he'd be only 30 years old when it expires.

Running away with the Rookie of the Year award, Morant is already leading the surprisingly good Memphis Grizzlies in scoring (17.6 points per game) and assists (6.9) while posting an efficiency rating rarely produced by young guards. Before Morant this season, the only guards in history to average at least 17 points on 49 percent shooting or better before turning 21 were Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.

Morant has the athleticism of a young Russell Westbrook and is able to break down opponents on the wing before driving into the paint and dunking on those foolish enough to try to block his shot. During the hiatus, he added 12 pounds of muscle on what was a 174-pound frame, making Morant better able to absorb contact.

There are plenty of young talented guards in the league, but few have made as big an impact on winning as Morant. While Memphis was thought to be one of the NBA's worst teams after it traded Mike Conley last offseason, Morant has the Grizzlies in eighth place in the loaded Western Conference. This is especially impressive considering they have the youngest roster in the NBA but zero players with All-Star experience.

At age 20, Morant already combines the talent, leadership and athleticism teams crave and would gladly pay for with a 10-year (or longer) contract.

—Greg Swartz

   

Luka Doncic

The term "generational talent" sells Luka Doncic short.

Here is a list of players 21 years old and younger who have averaged 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a season with a true shooting percentage above 58: Luka Doncic.

That's it.

He's one and only. And when you expand that list to players of all ages, he and Oscar Robertson still stand alone.

More importantly, he's already having a massive impact on winning. His plus-4.4 on/off rating split (83rd percentile) suggests he is already making a good team better when he's on the floor, and through 67 games this year, the Mavericks have the best offensive rating of all time with Doncic serving as a lead ball-handler and offensive focal point.

Despite being only 21, Doncic is viewed as a finished product—a polished player without room for upside. While his game is mature, he has plenty of time to improve his shooting, pull-up shooting, defense and reads over the next five seasons.

Doncic is the kind of player who will have a 10-plus-year prime. His game is predicated on touch, feel and IQ rather than supreme athleticism. He's already perfected that old-man game, and it will carry him well into his 30s.

He has multiple MVPs, championships and Finals MVPs in his future and is on track to be one of the greatest players in history.

I'd give him a 20-year deal if I could.

—Will Gottlieb

While the internet spent much of Thursday discussing Zion Williamson's transformation during the NBA's hiatus, fellow rookie Ja Morant has also bulked up in this span. 

The Memphis Grizzlies guard said he has gained 12 pounds of muscle over the past three months, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

"I'm stronger, can absorb contact and those things," Morant said. "Able to use my body more, get through different screens. That's what I was looking to build going to Orlando, to be able to do the things that I've been doing before but better."

The Grizzlies will head into the restarted season in Orlando with the eighth-best record in the Western Conference. The team currently has a 3.5-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings and will hope to keep the spread over the course of eight seeding games before the playoffs.

Morant has been a key part of the team's success all year, but the 2019 No. 2 overall pick could be even more dangerous going forward. He said the extra time working out has helped his previously injured knee and he is now "jumping higher."

"I've just been taking this time to focus on my body, make sure everything's feeling good, so when I go out and play, I'll be fine."

Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant apologized Sunday for sharing a controversial image on social media:

‼️✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/WU6AEKuDa0

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) June 29, 2020

The original post, which has since been deleted, featured an image of Morant with his No. 12 jersey edited to read "F--k 12," which has become a common message of disdain for the police. The "12" refers to narcotics officers.

According to TMZ Sports, Morant posted the image on Twitter with the caption, "want dat on my jersey fr."

The 20-year-old clarified his message Sunday, stating in part:

"My post was intended to focus on the bad cops who get away with the murder of unarmed Black men and women, and those who continue to harass peaceful BLACK LIVES MATTER protestors. ... There have been too many Black lives taken by police that could have been prevented. You may see me as just a basketball player and I may lose fans for taking a stand, but I won't stay silent."

Morant is one of several NBA players who have used their platform to speak out on social issues over the past month following the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.

The Murray State product sent a letter to a judge in Kentucky requesting the removal of a Confederate statue near his former university:

Take a minute to read Ja Morant's plea to take down the Confederate statue in his college town pic.twitter.com/jtumz2bboM

— Kavitha A. Davidson (@kavithadavidson) June 14, 2020

Morant has become a star in the NBA after being taken with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft. The guard enters the league's restarted season with averages of 17.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, making him a favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award.