The Memphis Grizzlies weren’t supposed to be this good.
At least, not that fast.
Getting past the ‘grit-and-grind’ era with Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley was supposed to take years.
It actually took months, as Ja Morant and the young guns looked ready to compete from day one.
The Grizzlies took Morant with the second-overall pick to ride alongside fellow top-5 pick Jaren Jackson Jr.
But Morant doesn’t ride along; he sets the pace.
That’s why he’s become one of the most popular players in the league already and why he gave a fan a moment he’ll never forget.
Shortly after the win over the Sacramento Kings, Morant reached out to a kid wearing his jersey courtside to give him his used shoes from the game.
Year made on day one 🙌
Ja Morant gives a young fan a pair of kicks and moment he'll never forget! pic.twitter.com/ajvRcTVsko
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2023
That’s the side of the Grizzlies that some of their rivals and haters refuse to see, as they’ve been doing a lot of talking lately.
The young guns started talking trash last season and it’s kind of backfired this year, as rival teams are giving them their best shot night in and night out.
“I feel like this season when we get talked back to, we just freeze up,” Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks said a couple of days ago, according to ClutchPoints.
The Grizzlies are currently sitting at the second spot in the Western Conference, so they’ll have plenty of chance to back up that talk come playoff time.
As for the young fan, he better start saving to keep buying those tickets, as the Grizzlies will be playing meaningful games down the stretch this season.
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