Watch: Ja Morant seen in an ecstatic mood as he gets his high school jersey retired
Ja Morant has been a revelation for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2021-22 NBA season. The 22-year old is responsible for the Grizzlies fourth place ranking in the NBA Western Conference.
Over the weekend, the point guard was honored by his high school, Crestwood, in Sumter, South Carolina. His number 12 jersey with the Crestwood Knights was retired. This was done to honor his impact on the game of basketball in his time with the Knights and to shed light on what an inspiration he is to the youths in Sumter County.
Since joining the NBA in 2019, Ja Morant has proven to be one of the best point guards in the league. He has shown a high level of growth since his rookie season and has maintained consistency.
He has a season average of 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game this season in 19 games. He has missed the Grizzlies' last 12 games owing to a knee injury he sustained last November after a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
However, he leads the team in points, field goals, assists, 2-points and free throws. He is due to return to the Grizzlies starting lineup soon, pending when he's cleared.
Ja Morant's number 12 jersey retired by Crestwood High School
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina. He attended Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina.
Ja was born to Tee and Jamie Morant, who themselves used to play basketball. He joined the Crestwood Knights as a point guard, became an instant wonder for the team. He averaged 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game and secured a career-high of 47 points for the Knights.
He was named the All-Region Most Valuable Player three times and earned South Carolina Class 3A All-State honors in his final two seasons with the Knights. Ja Morant finished from Crestwood as the all-time scorer, having scored a total of 1,679 points.
Ja Morant got his high school jersey retired 🙌 https://t.co/bvwfe1E9OZ
In unusual circumstances, Ja Morant was offered a scholarship by Murray State. He was the 2019 NCAA season assists leader with 331 total assists and 10.03 per game.
He spent two seasons with the Racers before declaring for the NBA draft in 2019. The Murray State Racers retired his number 12 jersey in February 2020.
He was selected by the Grizzlies as the second overall pick in the first round. In his debut season in the NBA, he posted 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists. Which earned him a selection for the 2019 All-Rookie First Team and the Rookie of the Year award.