“He actually has a similar mentality to Giannis and he will not be denied” - Tim Legler praises MIP award winner, says he wants to be an all-time great
Ja Morant was praised by former NBA player turned analyst Tim Legler for his mentality and willingness to be the best player in the world.
Appearing on ESPN's morning show Get Up, former Golden State Warriors player Tim Legler spoke about Ja Morant's mentality. He compared him to Giannis Antetokounmpo, as they don't rest on their laurels and keep pushing the boundaries. Tim Legler said:
"He actually has a similar mentality to Giannis and he will not be denied. He wants to be not just a guy that's a good player, an all star or a guy even that wins one time or wins an MVP. He wants to be an all-time great."
Morant and the Grizzlies tied their Western Conference semifinals series against the Warriors after winning Game 2.
Morant registered 47-point performance, along with eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. He converted 15 of his 31 field goal attempts as well as five of his 12 three-pointers.
Is Tim Legler right about Morant's comparison to Giannis?
It is very easy to forget that Ja Morant is only in his third season. Since being drafted as the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, Morant has lit up the NBA with his high-flying dunks and incredible performances.
Ja Morant is officially the first guard to lead the league in paint scoring since the NBA tracked the stat in 1996-97.
Since Shaq in 2005, only two players have scored inside more than Ja — Giannis and Zion. https://t.co/UWxllVS7rX
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo plays for the reigning champions and was the 2021 Finals MVP. He is also a two-time regular-season MVP and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award.
In fact, only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon have also won the MVP and DPOY awards in the same season.
When comparing the two, what must be kept in mind is that they are both in different spaces in terms of their development.
Antetokounmpo was nowhere near as good as Morant in his third season. But that doesn't necessarily mean Morant is going to be as good as the "Greek Freak" when he hits his prime.
Ja Morant is the 3rd player in NBA history to have multiple 45-point games in the playoffs before turning 23 years old, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. https://t.co/NAgaTh5QCN
But when you talk about their mentality and approach to the game, what Tim Legler is saying is not unsubstantiated at all. Nothing fazes Morant or Antetokounmpo.
They are willing to take on players and teams head on. Despite weaknesses in their games and the ability of the opposition to plan against it, these two continue to go at them.
When it comes to their abilities on the court and intangibles, Antetokounmpo is the better player. But Morant has the talent to one day be crowned as the best player in the league and could end up surpassing Antetokounmpo.