Ja Morant came up with a huge performance for the Memphis Grizzlies as they took on the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. The second-year guard led his team to a 128-106 victory over the Hawks, which left more than a few folks impressed — including none other than Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving.

Irving was so impressed with Morant that he decided to dub the Grizzlies youngster with a royal nickname:

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On Thursday, Morant logged 18 points (on 7-of-12 from the field), four rebounds, 13 assists, and two steals in 28 minutes of play. It was an eyebrow-raising performance for the 21-year-old, who is expected to have a breakout sophomore campaign this coming season with the Grizzlies.

Irving himself was in action on Friday, helping the Nets to a 113-98 win over his former team, the Boston Celtics. Kyrie finished with 17 points on 7-of015 shooting, to go along with three triples, even rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in 28 minutes of play. Brooklyn go 2-0 in their two preseason matchups as they head into a highly-anticipated contest against the Golden State Warriors to open their regular season on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies and the Nets face off a couple of times this season, and it will be interesting to see these two point guards duel on the basketball court. Irving and Morant have so much respect for each other, but given their competitive natures, this pair will definitely revel at the chance to go at it on any given opportunity.