Two of the brightest young stars in the NBA shared a touching moment on Friday, as Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic and Memphis Grizzlies budding star Ja Morant traded jerseys after their match at the Mavs' homecourt.
Doncic, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year last season, appeared to have passed the torch to this year's ROY front runner Morant after the two went at it for 48 minutes.
Former Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic and likely future Rookie of the Year Ja Morant swapped jerseys after the Mavs’ win over the Grizzlies.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 7, 2020
Doncic and the Mavs got the better of Morant's team, cruising to a hard-fought 121-96 victory. Doncic actually struggled with his shot, going 7-for-20 from the field and missing six of his eight 3-point attempts. The Slovenian stud still came away with 21 points, four boards, six assists, and two steals in 30 minutes.
Morant had an off-night as well, pitching in just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting in 32 minutes. He did a better job facilitating on offense, notching eight dimes and four rebounds.
The Mavs (39-35) and Grizzlies (31-31) are currently hanging on to the last two playoff slots in the ultra-competitive NBA Western Conference Standings. They currently hold the seventh and eighth seeds, respectively.
Both squads certainly have a bright future ahead of them, especially with their two playmakers proving to be legitimate cornerstones early in their careers. Talent-wise, Luka Doncic has already leapfrogged his draft mates and has inserted himself to the NBA MVP conversation in just his sophomore season.
Ja Morant, on the other hand, quickly learned the ropes around the league and is proving to be a star for years to come. New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is slowly creeping up to the ROY conversation. Ja, however, may already be locked for the award, especially if the Grizzlies can make it to the postseason.
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