Ja Morant is a special player. It's hard to find an apt comparison to the Memphis Grizzlies superstar. One man that could be considered to be in the same mold would be Derrick Rose. Not the Derrick Rose who's currently become a role player for the New York Knicks, but the D-Rose who sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world when he first arrived on the scene.
For those of us who were blessed to have witnessed Rose's greatness during his younger years, it isn't hard to comprehend why at just 22-years-0ld, the former Chicago Bulls superstar became the youngest-ever player to win the MVP award.
Morant is now 23, and he will no longer be able to break Rose's long-standing MVP record. However, the Grizzlies guard still credits Rose as a player who paved the way for him and his journey in the NBA:
“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant said, via Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”
Ja Morant clearly looks up to Rose, and as he said, he's still amazed by the fact he gets to play against him on the basketball court.
This was the case on Sunday night as Morant's Grizzlies took down the Knicks. Rose logged just 12 minutes in the loss, going for six points and one rebound. He's clearly no longer the show-stopping superstar he once was, but there's no denying that the younger generation still looks up to this man.
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