Superstar guard dishes on similarities with Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant
By Mark Nilon
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant entered the league in 2019 as a top-flight prospect and, through four seasons, has developed himself into one of the game’s truly elite talents.
And while the hope upon his arrival in the association was always that he’d work his way toward this type of status, the journey he took to get to such a level was certainly not the most luxurious from a collegiate standpoint and fellow superstar Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors recently touched on how he knows a thing or two about such a voyage himself.
During a July 27 appearance on Hot Ones, the two-time league MVP and four-time NBA Champion dished on how his experience at Davidson (2006-2009) paved the way toward his ultimate stardom in the game, suggesting that, had he gone to a bigger school like Texas Tech or Duke, things may not have ended up as illustrious.
Curry acknowledged that others around the NBA, namely Grizzlies star Ja Morant with his two-year stint at Murray State, are highlighting a shift in the way college recruiting is perceived.
“It’s kind of a message of go where the best fit is for you,” Curry said. “As much as you might want to have the pedigree or the resume to say, ‘I played in the ACC, I played in a power conference.’ That’s all cool, but myself, Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, guys who went to mid-major colleges, they’ll find you wherever you’re at. I had faith at the time, I didn’t know how it would pan out. I wouldn’t change that experience for anything.”
Murray State didn't just come out to support Ja Morant, they brought an army 👏 pic.twitter.com/B6w90q89YX
— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2020
During his recruitment process, Morant had only one high major NCAA Division I offer, which was from South Carolina. Declining to suit up for the Gamecocks, the point guard served as a member of the Murray State Racers men’s basketball team from 2017 through 2019.
During his final season in college, he would go on to post stupendous averages of 24.5 points, 10.0 assists (led the NCAA), 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and just shy of a block while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from deep.
With his high-end productivity, Morant was taken second overall by the Grizzlies and, throughout his tenure, has been selected to two All-Star games, an All-NBA Second Team, and has Memphis viewed as a legitimate title contender heading into just his fifth season.
As Stephen Curry suggests, had the Grizz guard been an attendee at a larger-scale university, perhaps his standing, as well as the team’s may be a tad different than they currently are.
