Ja Morant is stepping into a new role with the Portland Trail Blazers, and the jersey change comes with a story of its own.
After spending the first seven seasons of his career in No. 12 with the Memphis Grizzlies, Morant will wear No. 1 in Portland. He said the switch traces back to the way he came up as a player.
"When I was younger, I was underrecruited, so it was some type of motivation and confidence that went into anything I was doing," Morant said in his introductory interview with members of the media.
Morant had hoped to keep No. 12 when he arrived in Portland, but that plan never came together. He said the number was discussed with the organization, though they had "other plans."
That leaves him with No. 1, a number with a notable place in Blazers history. Morant is just the 11th player in franchise history to wear it.
The number was most recently used by reserve guard Blake Wesley, who was with the team this past season. Before that, Anfernee Simons wore No. 1 beginning in 2020 after starting his rookie year in No.
The bigger reason No. 12 was off the table is tied to LaMarcus Aldridge, who last wore it for Portland in 2015. Aldridge is widely regarded as one of the franchise’s top players, and his number is expected to be retired eventually.
Aldridge spent nine seasons with the Blazers from 2006 to 2015 after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. He turns 41 later this month and has not played in the league since 2022.
His resume makes the next step feel inevitable. Aldridge is a seven-time All-Star and was named All-NBA five times, including three times during his run in Portland. There is also a strong chance he eventually reaches the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
So while Morant’s jersey change is part of a fresh start in Portland, it also points to what’s coming next for one of the team’s all-time greats: No. 12 hanging from the rafters at the Moda Center.
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