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The Memphis Grizzlies gave Ja Morant a five-year $194.3 million designated rookie extension on July 6, 2022. The first year of the contract will kick in in the 2023-24 season, with Morant slated to earn $33.5 million.
Rapper Lil Wayne, on the All The Smoke podcast, had this to say about Memphis’ decision to sign Morant to said contract:
(11:50 mark)
“Y’all know that boy? Do y’all know that boy? Cause I don’t! I know him from dunkin' and jumpin'. I only started knowing him and started paying attention to him in his last year in college.
"He come from a town of like 3K people. Like, what? I gave him $200 million. I just said from a town of 3K people. You expect him to be responsible?"
Ja Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina, to Tee and Jamie Morant. Based on the last US Census estimate, it has a population of roughly 3,000. When Morant grew up there in the 1990s, it had significantly fewer people in the area.
The diminutive but athletic guard went to Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He wasn’t ranked as one of the best college prospects, but he started to make noise in the college basketball scene in his second year at Murray State.
By December 2018, a few months before the draft, Morant was considered by most scouts and analysts to be a top-five pick and when draft night came, he was taken second off the board.
To Memphis’ credit, “G12” was a model player in his first two seasons in the NBA. He was the face of a small market team who had aspirations of becoming relevant in the league again. Morant won Rookie of the Year and was an underdog many loved to root for.
Ja Morant’s suddenly brash personality and trash-talking spilled outside the court
NBA fans love it when franchise players are also leaders. Ja Morant was the unquestioned leader of a brash and emerging Memphis Grizzlies team who loved to talk trash and get under the skin of their opponents.
Unfortunately for them, the aggressiveness spilled outside the basketball court. Morant has now been involved in three gun-related incidents. Morant flexed a gun early in March, which resulted in an eight-game suspension.
The second gun-toting incident happened on May 14, which forced the Memphis Grizzlies to indefinitely suspend him from all team activities.
For many, it seemed like he was desperate to put on the persona of someone from the hood even though he didn’t grow up that way.
Lil Wayne had this to say about Morant’s style that has rubbed people the wrong way:
(11:09 mark)
“We in the streets. … My mama would probably have to ask me in real life, ‘Why you doing that?’ And I had to give her a real answer. … She would tell me, ‘Boy, you tripping?’ That’s the answer for ni***rs who are in the streets.
“He ain’t no thug! He ain’t in the streets. He ain’t about that!”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, before the finals started, told the media that a decision had already been made regarding Morant's punishment. The announcement, however, will have to wait until after the championship series is over.
Guess the Lakers players!
