Grizzlies’ Ja Morant says ‘I don’t like’ the Lakers, discusses viral battle with LeBron James

Star guard Ja Morant helped the Memphis Grizzlies take down the Los Angeles Lakers as he scored 20 points in a 131-114 win on Wednesday. Morant admitted he had have a little extra incentive to defeat the Lakers.

“I don’t like them,” Morant said after Wednesday’s game. “They knocked me out of the playoffs. And then last year we had a game, and they came here and popped it on our home floor when I was in street clothes. I wasn’t tonight.”

Morant ended up logging 24 minutes on Wednesday and connected on 7 of 17 shots from the field. However, Morant left the game in the third quarter due to a right hamstring injury. 

Wednesday’s game marked the first time the two teams met since the end of the 2023-24 regular season. In that contest, Lakers star LeBron James poured in 37 points and helped beat the Grizzlies, 123-120. Morant had suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in January 2024 and was forced to miss the game.

In 2022-23, the Lakers eliminated the Grizzlies in the opening round of the postseason, so the motivation was definitely there for Morant to make a statement.

In fact, Morant and James went blow-for-blow throughout Wednesday’s game. Each player used the “too small” gesture after scoring baskets, and Morant even got hit with a technical foul at one point.

“I think I did the ‘too small’ to somebody who was too small,” Morant added. “[James] came back and did it respectfully. …He did it, and I don’t back down from nobody. I don’t care who you are.

“My job was to just come back. I got my bucket, and I set the tone. My teammates fed off of it, and you see what happens. Top dog in our league. You take out the top dog, who else you fear?”

Morant is averaging 20.6 points to start off the season, and the Grizzlies have gotten off to a 5-4 start.