Before he came into the NBA, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant said Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook was his favorite player.
Just like Westbrook, once the ball tips, Morant only has one friend on the court and that's the ball itself. The Grizzlies rookie is a fierce competitor who doesn't back down from anyone and plays above the rim like Westbrook.
On the latest episode of All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Morant talked about Westbrook and the advice the former MVP game him:
“He’s definitely a tough guy, he doesn’t care about who’s on the floor, who’s on the other side of the ball, he’s going to be on goal,” Ja Morant said about Russell Westbrook.
“That’s definitely the mentality I’ve got…I talked to him after a game and he was just telling me keep going, keep being the killer that I am.”
Morant almost ended Kevin Love's career this season after nearly jumping over him for a monster poster dunk. Ja has also talked smack to James Harden after hitting a 3-pointer in his face.
So, you can see the similarities between Morant and Westbrook. Both players are walking triple-doubles, athletic specimens and guys who will do whatever it takes to win.
Morant had the Grizzlies in eighth place in the Western Conference standings before the season was suspended due to COVID-19. Ja was also the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year Award.
If the 2020 playoffs are played in the summer, the Grizzlies would face off against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Memphis had a 3.5 game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in the standings.
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