When it comes to the topic of Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, people often seem to be suffering from a serious case of recency bias.
From slanderous comparative remarks to despairing ranks among his fellow peers across the association, throughout this 2023-24 campaign the All-NBA point guard has been constantly overlooked and, in many ways, seemingly forgotten as someone who, when on the floor, truly could vie for the moniker of “face of the league.”
Most recently, The Ringer published a piece listing off the 25 best players in the NBA at the age of 25 and under and, insultingly enough, Morant fell all the way to the 10 spot, trailing behind literal non-stars in Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams to players boasting rather limited resumes in comparison such as Tyrese Maxey.
In the aftermath of such a ludicrous turnout for the 24-year-old, Grizzlies legend Tony Allen went on to set the record straight regarding the cornerstone guard during an interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, as he sang Morant’s praises while also putting the league on notice for what could be to come in 2024-25.
Grizzlies legend Tony Allen urges NBA to watch out for Ja Morant
“He’s still one of the guys that could be the face of the league. He’s a force to be reckoned with. I think he’s a superstar and must-see TV. … I think this summer is one of the biggest for him. This is gonna put a lot of fuel to the fire, simply because you see a lot of cats getting notoriety right now, which was his spotlight… This is the return year of Ja Morant to take the league back by storm.”
This past season, Morant was held to a mere nine games played with the Grizzlies due to both off-court issues and injuries.
Of course, despite his limited action, throughout his 2023-24 stint, he still managed to showcase why he’s proven himself to be one of the game’s premier perennial All-Stars, as he posted impressive per-game averages of 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds on 47.1 percent shooting from the floor.
From his high-flying athleticism to his highlight reel plays, the Grizzlies centerpiece is someone who, when on the hardwood, is “must-see TV” as Allen put it, and his career averages (22.5 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds) along with his merchandise sales numbers only seem to back up such sentiment.
Though the fans may be well aware of just how special Morant is, it seems the folks at The Ringer have seemingly forgotten.
Hopefully he’ll be able to remind them come next season, as Allen is predicting.
