Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will make his long-awaited All-Star Game debut when he starts for Team Kevin Durant Feb. 20 in Cleveland.
Morant was picked early in the school yard-style draft conducted by LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He was Durant’s second pick in the draft, behind Joel Embiid.
Embiid, Jayson Tatum (starting in place of the injured Durant), Trae Young and Andrew Wiggins will join Morant as starters for Team KD.
They’ll be going up against Team LeBron, which boasts four players who have won NBA MVP and one player who is in serious contention to win one this year: Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar Derozan and LeBron James.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has his eye on the All-Star Game MVP
Morant will be the first Memphis Grizzlies player to compete in an All-Star Game since Marc Gasol did so in the 2016-17 NBA All-Star game.
Ja has already said he wants to chase the new Kobe Bryant ASG MVP trophy. University of Memphis Basketball Coach and NBA legend Penny Hardaway says Morant will win the award.
“I’m putting this down right now, he’ll be the MVP of the All-Star Game,” Hardaway said on a local Memphis radio station in recent days.
The Grizzlies superstar will likely be competing against Antetokounmpo and James for MVP honors. Those two players are the only players competing in the game to have previously won an ASG MVP award.
You can watch Morant and the 2022 NBA All-Star Game Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. CT on TNT.