Ja Morant says the first meeting with Memphis is just another night on the schedule.
The Portland Trail Blazers guard will see the Grizzlies for the first time as an opponent Thursday at Moda Center, but he brushed away the idea that this reunion carries revenge, bitterness or anything close to it. Morant said Wednesday at the Blazers’ practice facility in Tualatin that he has “no hard feelings” and is “not a big grudge guy or anything like that.”
“It’s no different for me, just another basketball game on the schedule for us and we’re looking to stay undefeated.”
Morant’s path to this point ran through seven seasons in Memphis, where he went from NBA Rookie of the Year to two-time All-Star and franchise centerpiece before injuries and off-court issues changed everything. The Grizzlies eventually dealt him to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, ending a run that once looked like it would define the franchise for years.
Even now, Morant said he hasn’t fully sat with the emotion of Thursday’s matchup. He said he has “another day to process it,” though he has still thought about his time in Memphis and the way things unraveled in a city that once embraced him.
During his final four seasons with the Grizzlies, Morant was suspended three times: twice by the NBA for gun-related incidents and once by the team for conduct detrimental to the team after he criticized coach Tuomas Iisalo.
Still, Morant said none of that has hardened him toward Memphis.
“Obviously we was at a great point … and obviously I got in trouble,” Morant said, referring to his suspensions. “Then the dominoes pretty much went from there.
Guys started getting traded, new guys coming in and then it came to me. I take responsibility for stuff I’ve caused.
But it wasn’t all me, though.
“Obviously I know what I’ve done. I know the stuff I caused, the wrong light I brought on to the organization when I had my troubles. But you can’t take away the good I did either.”
For Morant, Memphis still carries real weight. He said he still thinks of Bluff City as home and always appreciated how the people there treated him “like family, like I was actually born from there.”
He’s also kept up with the Grizzlies from afar, saying he spoke with some former teammates Tuesday night and has watched all four of their games. Morant added that he’s “cool with everybody over there.”
“Nothing harsh for me for Memphis at all,” Morant said.
At the same time, the change of scenery has clearly suited him so far in Portland. Morant has fit in quickly with his new team, and the early returns have matched the easygoing image he has shown around the Blazers.
Damian Lillard has praised the new backcourt partner’s attitude and chemistry, saying Morant constantly has a smile on his face. Coach Micah Nori said Morant has already earned respect in the room because of how he treats everyone, from a security guard to a chef to a general manager.
The on-court production has been strong, too. Portland is 3-0, and Morant has averaged 16.3 points and 6.3 assists while shooting 59% from the field. He turned in his best game of the young season Tuesday, scoring 23 points with four assists and hitting two key late buckets in the Blazers’ 136-129 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Memphis has started just as well, opening 4-0 for the first time since 2014.
Ja Morant’s father, Tee Morant, said the Grizzlies would face a “reckoning” when they first saw his son in another uniform. Morant, though, waved that off Wednesday and said, “that’s my pops, that’s how he feels.”
For him, the bigger takeaway is simpler. The move gave him a reset.
“A fresh start is always good, like I’ve been saying,” Morant said. “Obviously I didn’t want to leave (Memphis).
It wasn’t up to me. But I’m in a good place now.
I’m feeling good. I’m happy.
We’ve got things rolling here. Great city.
Great fans. Everything so far here has been good for me, and I’m loving it.”
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