Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has received a decent amount of criticism over the last couple of weeks because of his celebration choices, but there are plenty of people who are still strongly in his corner. Murray State is forever grateful for the added exposure and revenue the dynamic point guard brought to the program.

The Racers are voicing their support for Morant, arguably the greatest player to ever wear the navy, blue and gold, as he and his team prepare for a crucial meeting with the Golden State Warriors. “Good luck to  Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Play-In Tournament tonight!,” the official Murray State men's basketball X account posted before Tuesday night's battle between seventh-place Golden State and eight-place Memphis.

If interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo can guide his adversity-ridden squad to a road victory over Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and the rest of the Dubs, a first-round playoffs series versus the Houston Rockets awaits.

Will Ja Morant and the Grizzlies rally?

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One might not expect an NBA play-in matchup to elicit advocacy from a mid-major like Murray State, but the Racers know what Morant means to the Kentucky-based university. Despite the program's limited resources, the former zero-star recruit earned All-American honors and led the team to an upset NCAA Tournament victory over Marquette in 2019. He leaped toward the top of the NBA Draft board, and in the process, gave Murray State a big boost as well.

The Racers retired Morant's No. 12 jersey in 2020, and their appreciation and loyalty continues to reverberate today. When the 25-year-old succeeds, Chestnut Street bursts with pride.

On the surface, securing the No. 7 seed in the playoffs does not seem like a stellar accomplishment, especially since the Grizzlies were in the top half of the standings for most of the season. Though, considering that the franchise fired head coach Taylor Jenkins less than three weeks ago and is facing a Warriors team rich in big-game experience, a play-in triumph would induce instant euphoria throughout Memphis.

Murray State would celebrate to some degree, too. Ja Morant looks to put an injury-marred campaign behind him and start fresh in the Chase Center. The Grizzlies and Warriors collide at 10 p.m. ET.