‘It’s a no for me’: Ja Morant follows LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo in disapproving the idea of an All-Star Game this year

Advait Jajodia | 12/02/2021
'It's a no for me': Ja Morant follows LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo in disapproving the idea of an All-Star Game this year

Ja Morant became the latest player after LeBron James and De’Aaron Fox to condemn the idea of this year’s All-Star Game.

Ja Morant has been absolutely amazing since he stepped on the court in his first year. During his first year, he participated in the Rising Star Challenge. Only in his 2nd season, he can do one better, and participate in the All-Star weekend playing in the All-Star Game.

Although Ja Morant could be one of the Western Conference guards to make it to the All-Star Game, he has voiced his disinterest in playing it. The former Rookie of the Year joins LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and many more stars, who have disapproved the idea for an All-Star game this year.

Morant had a 15-points, 11-assists performance in the 130-114 win over the Hornets. Post the game, Morant said:

“I feel like the superstars in this league are guys who I feel like have some pull. Being LeBron (James), Giannis (Antetokounmpo), Kawhi (Leonard), I totally agree with what they said.”

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Ja Morant could be the first All-Star from the Grizzlies since Marc Gasol in 2017

From the first return from fan votings, Ja Morant received a whopping total of 257,743 votes. He is fourth leading Western Conference guard in terms of votes, only behind Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard. If Ja Morant manages to make it as a player of the All-Star game, he would become Memphis’ first selection since Marc Gasoline in 2017.

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Ja Morant had declined to participate in the Slam Dunk competition last year. This year too, he made his opinions very clear about not participating in the dunk contest by saying:

“It’s a no for me.”

Also Read: “Game-ending steal”: Shannon Sharpe cites LeBron James’ final defensive play to roast critics of his shooting as Lakers beat Thunder in 3rd straight OT game

The All-Star Game isn’t the priority for certain players at that the moment. Making the playoffs and having a great impact on their team would rather be on their minds.

Currently, Ja is averaging 18.3 points, 7.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. He is leading the young Memphis Grizzlies squad to a .500 10-10 record to place them in the 9th spot of the Western Conference.

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Ja Morant

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Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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