What did Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant say about the Golden State Warriors?
If there’s one thing that’s certain to happen this Christmas Day, it’s the fireworks show that we’re going to see when the Grizzlies and the Warriors meet.
From the Celtics and Lakers, to the Bulls and the Knicks, the NBA has seen its share of team rivalries over the years and now it seems there be another one brewing though it’s fair to say this is still early days.
Ja Morant has nothing to say about the Warriors and that’s something
Whether you rate them or not, the Memphis Grizzlies are definitely feeling themselves of late. With 23-year-old Ja Morant leading the way, the Grizzlies have grown from being ones to watch in future, to potential title contenders in a short space of time and despite their loss the No. 1 ranked Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, they sit just behind Denver at No. 2 in Western Conference with an identical record of 19-11. Indeed, it’s an interesting time to be a Grizzlies fan, with first-time coach Taylor Jenkins spearheading a playoff berth in his first season, before achieving the second-best record in the NBA last year. That was of course, prior to their defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in what was a contentious six-game Western Conference semifinal series.
That of course brings us to the aforementioned Morant and his recent comments, about which teams he believes would stand in the way of a Grizzlies title run. Predictably, Morant named the Celtics among a few others in the Eastern conference, which to be fair makes sense. The Celtics are defending Eastern Conference champions and currently have the best winning percentage in the league. When he was asked about the Western Conference, however, Morant’s response definitely raised an eyebrow. “Nah, I’m fine in the West.”
Did Ja Morant diss the Warriors?
Let’s be clear, before a ball was bounced on Wednesday night in their loss to the Denver Nuggets, there were just 6.5 games separating the No. 1 seed in the Western conference from the 13th. That’s to say that Morant’s words will likely warrant a response from varying corners, not the least of which is sure to be the Golden State Warriors. For starters, the Warriors are of course the NBA’s defending champions but may we remind you, they are also the team that eliminated the Grizzlies last year. Add to that, the fact that Steph Curry and Co. have got off to a less than ideal start with a record of 15-17 and you can see where this is going. By the using the word “fine,” it would appear that the rising star is saying his team has no reason to worry when it comes to their own conference.
What’s the back story to the Grizzlies vs Warriors beef?
If you missed it, it was 2021′s play-in game when these two teams lost any sort of love that they may have had for each other. With a Grizzlies win, the Warriors were sent packing and immediately the back and forth started via social media. From claims that the Grizzlies were now a “dynasty,” to the declaration that the Warriors were “getting old,” the bottom line is a lot of people got rubbed the wrong way. When they met again in this year’s semifinals, one could see that much of the heat from the year before was still very much present. Dillon Brooks for example, was suspended after his flagrant foul in Game 2, which resulted in the Warriors’ Gary Payton II breaking his elbow. Needless to say, when the series ended and the Warriors advanced, some of the players wasted no time in hitting back. Klay Thompson for example rehashed an old tweet from Jaren Jackson Jr., before calling him a “freaking bum.”
What to expect from Warriors vs Grizzlies on Christmas Day?
By now, it should be relatively clear that Morant almost certainly neglected to mention the Warriors in his response with intention. If that’s not the case, there’s likely little that can be done or said to make the Warriors believe otherwise. That’s to say, come Christmas Day it’s going to be heated on the court. If there is one positive - depending on how you look at it - it’s that Steph Curry who once declared himself as the “petty king” won’t be present. The Warriors star continues to recover from a shoulder injury which he suffered against the Pacers. Though that’s not good news for Golden State, they can at least take comfort in the idea that at home, their record is an impressive 12-2.