Portland Trail Blazers star guard Ja Morant knows all about the Memphis Grizzlies’ hot 4-0 start because. He’s watched every one of his former team’s games so far this season. He stays in touch with friends on the team like GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr. And he still looks back fondly on his seven seasons with the franchise and city, even though that tenure collapsed toward the end and concluded unceremoniously with a trade to Portland this summer.
“It was great,” Morant told reporters Wednesday.
“Man, that was pretty much my career so far. Obviously, ups and downs, but a lot of more good than anything. I found another home.”
If you were looking for fighting words from Morant ahead of the anticipated first matchup against his former team on Thursday at the Moda Center, the two-time All-Star didn’t give any. In fact, he downplayed any tension or spectacle surrounding the game. With Portland and Memphis set to meet as two of the NBA’s remaining four unbeaten teams, Morant is harboring no ill will.
“Nah, not at all,” Morant said regarding whether he has hard feelings toward the Grizzlies organization. “ … I’m not a big grudge guy. I still talk to the guys that I’m pretty much cool with. I talked to them yesterday. It’s no different for me, just another basketball game on the schedule for us.”
Maturity and calm — that was the tenor Morant carried throughout the eight-minute interview at the Blazers practice facility Wednesday as reporters prodded him about the upcoming matchup, his past mistakes and current relationship with the Grizzlies organization. As Morant navigated the sensitive questions with a positive attitude and some vulnerability, sometimes the scene resembled closer to a therapy session than your typical basketball interview.
While Morant reflected on his time in Memphis and took accountability for what went wrong at his last stop, he made it clear his focus is forward and with his opportunity with the Trail Blazers.
“A fresh start is always good, like I’ve been saying,” Morant said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to leave. 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 has been good for me, and I’m loving it.”
You can watch the full interview below:
