Ja Morant had a scary moment in China. On Wednesday, a clip went viral in which Morant is looking to jump over a man for a slam dunk. However, as Morant inched closer to his takeoff spot, he slipped and crashed into the person. Initially, it seemed like a season-ending injury could have been on the cards, but the Grizzlies’ superstar got up and seemed fine.
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Morant tried to take off on both feet before his knees crashed into the back of his dunk partner. Fortunately, he didn't fall to the ground, which may have saved him from a brutal injury.
Morant has been held back by health issues since the 2023-24 NBA season and this could have been a huge blow, not just for next year, but to his career long-term. NBA fans expressed their concerns on X as one user wrote:
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Another compared him to Derrick Rose:
One fan said that Memphis will ask Morant to stop his tour:
Another added:
One fan said:
Ja Morant planned to avoid dunking after frequent injuries
Ja Morant has made a name for himself as arguably the most athletic player in the NBA right now. The Memphis Grizzlies superstar's show-stopping dunks made him a household name during the team's most successful season with him in 2021-22. However, as many feared, Morant's dunking ability was limited by opposing teams with their physicality.
He has had several injuries since then. While not all of them have been because of the dunks, Morant insisted that he will stop, citing injury-risk factors.
Here's what he told ESPN in December:
"I'm not trying to dunk at al. Y'all think I'm lying. I'm dead serious. Sometimes I get knocked out the air and [a foul] don't get called, and now I'm out longer than what I'm supposed to be.
"Sometimes the foul might get called; I still hit the floor, but after the game you might feel that little fall. So I just pick and choose, man. Hey, two points is two points. I get it done. That's all that matters."
The Grizzlies have failed to match their expectations for the past four seasons and Ja Morant has been at the center of it. From off-court issues leading to suspensions and injuries on the court, his lack of availability has directly contributed to Memphis' failures.
The upcoming season has seen the Grizzlies make several changes, starting with Desmond Bane's departure and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's arrival. While they are at a talent deficit without Bane, Memphis has a more well-balanced roster.
Ja Morant was also relatively healthier this offseason than the last, so this is a fantastic chance for him to prove doubters wrong.
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