Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant has been a fan favorite this season for his fearless attitude on the floor in just his first season as a pro. Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, however, doesn't seem to be too fond of the youngster's fiery attitude.
The 29-year-old Montenegrin was talking about his transition to becoming a leader for the Magic team when he appeared to throw shade at the Rookie of the Year frontrunner.
“You go through the draft process, and people ask you if you are a leader,” he said, per a Yahoo Sports piece. “Maybe I was in college (at USC) when I was a junior, and other guys were younger than me. But I'm not going to come in my (NBA) rookie year and yell at (Philadelphia veteran teammate Andre) Iguodala.
“(People) throw that (leader label) around, but that's not something that you decide to be; it's something you earn when you have the respect of your teammates. I just feel like I'm an established player now, I've been around a long time and my teammates respect me for the way that I play. So when I do say something, I think they are going to listen to it and respect it.”
Along with teammate Dillon Brooks, Morant was the subject of headlines last month when the pair called out Andre Iguodala for refusing to play in Memphis. Vucevic, who was former teammates with Iggy, took the rookie's actions as a sign of disrespect for a three-time NBA champion and one-time Finals MVP.
Vucevic, meanwhile, is once again having a solid season for the Magic with averages of 19.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 46.4 percent shooting from the field and 32.6 from downtown.
Morant has been known not to back down from anyone and it will be interesting to see if he fires back at Vucevic's remarks.
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