"He grabbed the ball and just started doing a hella crossover" - Former Most Improved Player of the Year winner names first matchup against Kyrie Irving as his first "starstruck" moment in the NBA

Ja Morant can never forget the first time he squared off against Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving in his rookie year. The Murray State standout, in just his third NBA game, matched up against one of the most skilled players the league has ever seen.

The Memphis Grizzlies franchise player, on "The Pivot" podcast, recalled watching "Uncle Drew" almost in disbelief just before tip-off against the Nets. Morant said:

“I can say my first starstruck moment was the Kyrie matchup. Before the tip man, normally I would just grab the ball, dribble it once and pass it back. He grabbed the ball and just started doing a hella crossover and I’m just like, ‘Goddamn!’

“Game hasn’t even started yet and I’m like, ‘This my matchup today!’”

In Morant’s NBA debut against the Miami Heat, he matched up against Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn. The following game, he was asked to guard Tomas Satoransky and Colby White of the Chicago Bulls.

However, it was the matchup against Kyrie Irving that had him all hyped up. Irving’s silky-smooth skills make him legendary. He is considered by many to be the most skilled player to ever lace up a sneaker in the NBA.

As starstruck as Morant was, he proudly said that he didn’t back down and even helped the Memphis Grizzlies get their first win of the season.

“That was my first 30-point game, my third game of the season. I blocked a shot and sent it to overtime.

“I pretty much could have gotten the ball, called a timeout, have some time off the clock, pretty much end the game. But I blocked the shot, and once I blocked it, I didn’t even look for the ball no more. I just went down the court talking sh**.”

In the postgame report, Kyrie Irving explained the sequence when Morant blocked his shot:

“I head-faked. I tried to shoot a fade. He's got long arms. He got a good contest on it and blocked the shot.”

Morant tied the game with a layup and made the crucial block on Irving to force overtime. He then got the key assist to win the game 134-133 for the Grizzlies. The youngster didn’t seem to play like he was awestruck by those in front of him.

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Kyrie Irving and Ja Morant’s respective careers are trending in opposite directions

Over the last three years, the careers of Kyrie Irving and Ja Morant have taken opposite turns.

“Uncle Drew” has rarely been around with the Brooklyn Nets, having played only 103 games across the last three seasons. When he’s engaged, he’s almost always a dazzling talent to watch, but he hasn’t always been available for a myriad of reasons.

Together with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving has led the Nets to only one playoff series win. The mercurial point guard will be playing in his final year in Brooklyn unless both sides can agree on a new contract. As per reports, Brooklyn is unwilling to give Irving a long-term deal due to his injury issues and unreliability.

The Memphis Grizzlies, on the other hand, seem to have landed the perfect player for their franchise and city. Morant has embraced the blue-collar mentality of the Grizzlies and is turning out to be one of the hottest superstars in the NBA.

Memphis has clearly progressed since drafting the skinny point guard in 2019. They missed the playoffs in the first season of the team’s rebuild, but haven’t missed the postseason since then. Morant already has two playoff rounds to show as the face of the franchise.

Kyrie Irving could find it difficult to find another massive long-term deal while teams will not hesitate to offer one to Ja Morant.