Suspended NBA Star Ja Morant was pressured by his parents to dress up as Michael Jackson to perform at family events
Electrifying on the court, Ja Morant isn't afraid to show his dance moves during games when he does something unworldly. Morant's dancing has become a trend in the basketball world and even younger basketball players who aspire to make it in the NBA have copied his groove.
Known mostly for his dunks and fearlessness, the 6-foot-2 superstar has shown that he can join Dancing With the Stars one day. Oftentimes, he shows the "Griddy," giving fans something enjoyable to watch other than his highlights.
Last year, Morant was a guest star in "The Pivot Podcast" where he talked about dressing up as Michael Jackson. Taking on the persona of the King of Pop isn't easy, but according to the two-time All-Star, his parents pressured him to dance like MJ at family events.
Watch him spill the beans at the 37:35 mark.
"Nah, man. I wish." Morant said when asked if he still had his MJ jackets. "I had the glove and all."
"Cookout party, they play the song, 'Come on Ja.' His [My dad's] favorite line right there. My mom [will] hype it up. I had to go get dressed, put on my little jacket, the glove. Come out and dance. Now, I don't do it no more.
"That was my favorite artist, though. I had his t-shirts and all. At that time, being a young kid, I couldn't tell my mom that."
It's been almost a year since he talked about being his family's Michael Jackson performer and he hasn't shown fans any dance move referencing to it. Fans are hopeful that they could at least see him do the moonwalk after a highlight play.
Still, the 2023-24 season is slowly approaching, and Morant should start practicing his moves as fans might ask him to do a MJ move soon.
You might also be interested in reading this: Ranking Ja Morant's top 5 plays from his NBA career
Ja Morant's father points the finger at the NBA star for his suspension
Upon the issuance of Ja Morant's suspension, many have blamed his surroundings for it. However, the father of the Memphis Grizzlies star, Tee, looks at it in a different light.
According to Tee, his son is old enough to be responsible for his actions -- well, that's what he implied.
"My son didn’t get in trouble 'cause of people around him," Morant said. "He got in trouble because of his decisions."
"The smallest thing you can do can make the biggest difference in your life. When I'm talking about life and living, I get kind of emotional ... but I'm just telling y'all to make the right decisions."
It appears as if Tee is making sure that his son learns his lesson and takes extra caution with how he deals with things moving forward.
The Grizzlies star will miss the first 25 games of the season as his suspension hurts his chance at being named into the All-NBA team.
Also read: "Not just Ja Morant acting gangsta": Amir Coffey faces NBA Twitter's wrath following arrest for gun possession