This really is an astonishing play.
Let’s be clear: Ja Morant, on some level, is an idiot. He has the world by a string and he’s willing to cut that string so that he can play with guns.
It’s already cost him plenty. Fortunately, he seems to have wised up a bit.
Whatever his off-court issues may be, no one has ever disputed Morant’s talent. He’s a wondrous basketball player. Very, very few people have his level of talent. We periodically see him do things that take your breath away and on Saturday, we saw another example.
The Grizzlies were playing at Boston and moving the ball around and as time was running out on the shot clock, Morant blew by Derrick White - we mean just blew by him - and headed to the basket.
Krystap Porzyngis, all 7-3 of him, was waiting and he went up to block the shot. White recovered and came to help out but Morant double clutched and did a backwards dunk despite it all.
If you watch this play in slow motion, you’ll see that while it looks spectacular, and is, he really had to do exactly that to get this dunk. As great as it is in regular speed, when you see it in slow motion, it’s just...well, the only thing you can really say, is it’s Jordanesque.
You’re not supposed to say that, but it’s true. This is exactly the sort of play that Michael Jordan used to take our breath away with. Lord. This is sheer athletic brilliance.
We hope he continues to stay away from trouble because not one man in a million could do this.
