Ja Morant

Morant was born to Tee and Jamie Morant in Dalzell, South Carolina. His father played collegiate basketball at Claflin University, and his mother competed in softball at the collegiate level after playing high school basketball. His younger sister, Teniya Morant, also pursued basketball at Mississippi Valley State. Morant wears a tattoo on his left arm with the words "beneath no one," reflecting advice given to him by his mother during his youth.

Morant has a daughter named Kaari, who was born on August 7, 2019, with KK Dixon. His father remained a visible presence courtside throughout his collegiate and professional career.

Morant attended Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina, where he developed under the instruction of his father. His training routine in the family backyard included practicing step-back jump shots and using tractor tires to build jumping power with soft landings. Morant finished as Crestwood's all-time leading scorer with 1,679 points and earned South Carolina Class 3A All-State honors in his final two seasons. On the Amateur Athletic Union circuit, he competed for the South Carolina Hornets, sharing the floor for one season with future top draft pick Zion Williamson.

Despite his high school production and three All-Region Most Valuable Player awards, Morant was unranked by major recruiting services. In July 2016, Murray State assistant coach James Kane discovered Morant by accident while watching a three-on-three game in an auxiliary gym while searching for a concession snack. Head coach Matt McMahon soon offered him a scholarship, and Morant committed to the Racers in September 2016.

Morant made an immediate impact during his freshman season in 2017-2018, averaging 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He helped guide the Racers to Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles, earning first-team All-OVC and OVC All-Newcomer honors. During that freshman campaign, he posted the second triple-double in program history in a game against Eastern Illinois.

In his sophomore season in 2018-2019, Morant led NCAA Division I in assists while averaging 24.5 points, 10.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. He became the first player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game in a single season since assists became an official NCAA statistic in 1983-1984. During a regular season victory over SIU Edwardsville, he recorded 40 points, 11 assists, and five steals, making 21 consecutive free throws without a miss to set an OVC record. In the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Morant registered a triple-double with 17 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds to lead Murray State past Marquette. He concluded his college career with the Bob Cousy Award, the Lute Olson Award, and consensus first-team All-American honors.

The Memphis Grizzlies selected Morant with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. In his debut 2019-2020 campaign, he led all rookies with 7.1 assists and 17.8 points per game, earning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award by taking 99 of 100 first-place votes. In the 2020-2021 postseason, he made his playoff debut with a 26-point performance against the top-seeded Utah Jazz in Game 1, following that with a 47-point outing in Game 2.

Morant took a significant leap during the 2021-2022 season, averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. He led the Grizzlies to 56 regular season wins and the franchise's first Southwest Division championship. He was voted an NBA All-Star starter, won the NBA Most Improved Player Award, and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team. In February 2022, he set a Grizzlies single-game scoring record with 52 points against the San Antonio Spurs. The following season, he earned his second All-Star selection and surpassed Marc Gasol for the most career regular season triple-doubles in Grizzlies franchise history.

Morant's career in Memphis was disrupted by off-court discipline and physical setbacks. In March 2023, the NBA suspended him for eight games after he displayed a firearm during a live stream from a Colorado nightclub. In June 2023, the league issued a 25-game suspension following another video showing him with a firearm inside a vehicle. Upon returning in December 2023, Morant played nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder subluxation during practice.

Subsequent years in Memphis included further missed time due to ailments such as a left elbow ligament sprain in 2025-2026. In June 2026, the Grizzlies traded Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.