Ja Morant hyped for South Carolina athletes appreciation post ft. A'ja Wilson and Zion Williamson
Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant recently recognized his South Carolina roots, reacting to a post highlighting some of his home state's premier athletes. Those include his fellow 2019 NBA draft selectee, New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson, and Las Vegas Aces superstar center A'ja Wilson.
Born in Dalzell, South Carolina, Morant played AAU basketball for the South Carolina Hornets. He later attended Sumter, South Carolina's Crestwood High School, finishing as a three-time All-Region MVP. He also earned South Carolina Class 3A All-State honors in his final two high school seasons.
After completing two years at Murray State University, Morant was selected No. 2 by Memphis in the 2019 draft. Since then, he has established himself as one of the top South Carolinian athletes.
Before his suspension and injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign, Morant garnered two consecutive All-Star selections and an All-NBA second team nod. He also led the Grizzlies to back-to-back top-two Western Conference finishes, cementing their status as an up-and-coming powerhouse team.
On Monday, Slam posted photos of Morant, as well as Wilson, another South Carolina native, and Williamson, who grew up in the state, on X/Twitter. The publication commended South Carolina's knack for producing basketball talent.
"South Carolina does it different," Slam captioned the post.
Shortly after, Morant concurred with Slam's sentiment.
"Stamp dat!!" Morant said.
Williamson, the 2019 NBA draft's No. 1 pick, has received two All-Star selections, showing flashes of superstardom when healthy over the past few years.
Meanwhile, Wilson, the 2018 WNBA draft's No. 1 pick, is dominating women's basketball. She is a two-time WNBA champion, two-time MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, six-time All-Star and four-time All-WNBA selectee, among numerous other accolades.
Thus, South Carolina appears to be well-represented in both leagues.
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Ja Morant congratulates fellow South Carolina native A'ja Wilson for setting WNBA scoring record
Ja Morant also shouted out A'ja Wilson in an Instagram story Monday, congratulating her on her latest milestone.
During Las Vegas' 84-71 home victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, Wilson tallied a game-high 29 points. In doing so, she became the first WNBA player to reach 1,000 points in a season.
Afterward, Morant shared Nike's post about Wilson's record, commending his fellow South Carolina native.
"Da mayor of South Carolina. Crib talk. Congrats, family," Morant captioned his IG story.
While Wilson will soon pursue her third straight WNBA championship, Morant is rehabbing ahead of his sixth NBA campaign. He will look to bounce back after being limited to nine games last season due to a 25-game gun-related suspension and subsequent right shoulder surgery.
Also Read: "Don't forget who Ja Morant is" - Richard Jefferson believes Grizzlies star has the most to prove this upcoming season