NBA: Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant says ‘athletes should always speak up’ for issues you believe in

Ja Morant has had an eventful initiation into the NBA.

In his first year in the league, after the Memphis Grizzlies selected him with the No 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Then, when it restarted, for the first time in history it was played at a single site, biosecure bubble in Florida. Then, the Memphis Grizzlies competed in the NBA’s first-ever play-in game since 1956 (where they lost to Portland Trail Blazers). And then, Morant—the young point guard who looks destined to be the Grizzlies’ franchise cornerstone for many years to come—was named as the Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 season.

Now, the story of Morant’s rise has been captured in a docuseries called Promiseland. As much as his on-court razzle-dazzle and slick skills with the basketball, the series also highlights Morant’s off-court work in taking a stand for racial equality in the aftermath of incidents such as the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer and the shooting of Jacob Blake by another policeman, which led the players to bring the league to a temporary halt again in August last year. Morant was one of the most vocal players for racial justice particularly among the rookies during this period.

“I feel like we should always speak on what you believe in. As far as I’m concerned, with the platform that I have, and the things I post or talk about… I feel like I should always speak up,” Morant told Firstpost in an exclusive interview. “That’s what I have been doing and that’s what a lot of players in this league, and professional athletes across the world, have been doing. We all want the same thing. We just want change. We just want all things to be equal.”

In his rookie season, when the season re-started in the bubble with USA grappling with incidents of police brutality against minorities, players were given an option to have pre-selected social justice messages written on the back of their jerseys. Morant picked the word ‘Enough’ to be emblazoned at the back of his jersey.

Besides everything else that was going on, a part of Morant’s rookie season was played in the absence of fans in the stands. Despite the unusual circumstances, he averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. He even played multiple games in the bubble with a fractured thumb.

So, was there anything that caught him off guard in his first year in the top flight?

“There wasn’t anything that caught me off guard. But having that many games, and having to turn the page quickly after a game and focus on the next one, was something I had to get used to. If I had a bad game on day, I had to throw it out and focus on the next one so that it wouldn’t carry over,” he said.

On being asked if there’s a player in the NBA that he looks up to with regards to on and off-the-court abilities, Morant said: “Not so much. I just want to be the best, on both fronts, really just the best (version of) me.”