It’s a new year, and I would like to start it off by continuing my running appreciation of one of the best young players in the league right now. Four days into 2020, the Grizzlies upset the Clippers, and Ja Morant made the victory so much sweeter with a wonderful moment of disrespect towards Clippers point guard Jerome Robinson.
Ja Morant is hell-bent on disrespecting defenders
Morant is destroying defenders like Jerome Robinson with reckless abandon.
A pump-fake by Morant drew Robinson in. He then faked a drive with Robinson recovering before pulling off a crossover — with a hint of a push-off — that left his defender stumbling into the paint as Morant stood at the three-point line. He didn’t shoot immediately after. Instead, he watched his victim try to catch his balance. He glared at Robinson as if Robinson’s very presence was offending him in some way.
Then he took a breath and made the shot.
The condescension Morant displayed during that staredown is wonderful in itself, but what really takes it to the next level is that from another angle, you can see Lou Williams watching the whole thing play out. Williams is well known for breaking ankles and embarrassing defenders, and he couldn’t help but to appreciate the younger man doing the same. He must have seen a bit of himself in the young point guard. So, as Morant watched his opponent fall away, Williams nodded in benevolent approval.
In a way, those of us who enjoy Morant’s game are like Williams spectating. Since the 20-year-old arrived the NBA, he has been hell-bent on making sure his opponents know he is superior to them. He’s not only trying to play well, he’s trying to hurt everyone else’s feelings. And from a distance, we watch him, admiring his style and attitude while also letting him know we support his actions wholeheartedly. May he never stop trying to ruin his opponent’s lives.
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