Ja Morant, regardless of how he conducts himself off NBA hardwood, is one of the best talents the league has to offer. It truly says something about you when players across the league believe that your basketball IQ is second only to the likes of LeBron James, Chris Paul, or Rajon Rondo.
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Having spent less than 4 years in the NBA, Morant has established himself as a true superstar both in terms of his playing ability and his marketability. The latter has taken a dip due to recent controversies but given just how young he is, he’ll have time to rebuild his image.
A lot of what Ja has accomplished so far can be attributed to his upbringing, his work ethic, his perhaps even god-given ability. However, one certain incident that took place when he was 6 years old may also be involved in reaching the point he’s reached.
Ja Morant broke his arm when he was 6
When Ja Morant was merely 6 years of age, he would break his left arm after jumping on his trampoline. The break, according to his father, Tee Morant, was a significant one as his elbow looked to bend towards his shoulder.
“You gotta be a big man for me. You gotta be a big boy for me,” said Tee about what he told Ja as he cried on the way to the hospital. Tee would then be shocked as his son, after having shed a couple tears, stopped crying up until they had reached to the hospital.
The reason for why this injury is significant in the way Ja plays the game is because it rendered his left arm to be a couple inches longer than his right. This means that any crossover he does that ends with his left arm is further away from the opposing defender in front of him.
This makes sense when you consider the fact that Ja’s go-to move when it comes to crossing over a defender is the right to left drop step that immediately leads into an attack into the paint. Him having an arm slightly longer than the others puts the ball slightly out of reach to get poked at from the sides.
