“You get fuller and fuller of yourself before you’ve proven anything” - Skip Bayless says he’s not a fan of Ja Morant calling himself "Black Jesus," says he needs to be more available

Even as trade rumors have flooded the NBA scene, Ja Morant has found a way to get in the news for something unrelated to basketball. The Memphis Grizzlies guard called himself "Black Jesus," and Skip Bayless thinks he is full of himself.

Footage of Morant in a restaurant hit the internet, where he referred to himself as "Black Jesus." He responded with that after tipping a waitress $500 and she asked who he was.

Although it came after a nice gesture, many were not thrilled with his statement. On "Undisputed: Skip and Shannon," the topic was raised. The panel was asked if they had an issue with Morant calling himself that, and Bayless said:

"I didn't love it, either, but I don't love anything like that. If Larry Bird wants to say of Michael Jordan, after he scored 63 points, 'That was God disguised as Michael Jordan,' I'm cool with that.

"But, Ja, I'm trying so hard to love you, and you won't quite let me because you get fuller and fuller of yourself before you've proven anything."

After discussing how Morant missed a significant number of games in the regular season and playoffs, Bayless said:

"Just for the record, without 'Black Jesus' during the regular season, at one point they were 21-6 without him."

Bayless talked about other guards the Grizzlies are bringing in as substitutes for Morant because they do not trust his durability. After listing the names, he said:

"If you're that guy, you've got to be able to heal yourself."

In Morant's time with the Grizzlies, he has given the fanbase hope. He led the team to a Western Conference semifinals matchup but lost to the Golden State Warriors.

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Ja Morant has signed a five-year contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies

Morant has shown his commitment to continue playing with the Grizzlies. The All-Star guard recently signed a five-year designated rookie deal of $193 million that could go up to $231 million. The contract will kick in for the 2023-24 season and upwards.

In three years, Morant has taken the Grizzlies to two playoff appearances after a three-year hiatus. In 2021, they lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the inaugural play-in tournament.

The 22-year-old made his first All-Star appearance last season. He won the 2021-22 Most Improved Player award and also made the All-NBA second team.

Although Morant made a tremendous leap in his career last season, there is still so much the guard can do to improve his game. His 3-point shooting needs to get a lot better, and he has to be more active on defense.