Ja Morant Hilariously Pokes Fun at Yuki Kawamura’s Failed 360 Layup Attempt

Among the plethora of moves that Ja Morant has in his arsenal, the 360 layup might be the most popular. The 6’2 point guard pulled it off flawlessly in a recent game against the Brooklyn Nets. However, it isn’t as easy for most athletes. Morant’s Grizzlies teammate Yuki Kawamura is unfortunately not as gifted athletically as him.

Therefore, the 5-feet-9 guard recently became the victim of a failed 360 layup.

During a G League game for the Memphis Hustle, the 23-year-old attempted his superstar teammate’s signature move. He went on a run after a steal and tried his best to close the sequence with a 360 layup. However, Kawamura miscalculated his release and missed the shot.

The primary difference between Morant when he goes for a 360 layup and the one Kawamura tried was the point when the ball leaves the hand. When the Grizzlies superstar usually attempts the shot, he ensures he’s under the basket, which allows him to release with precision. In Kawamura’s case, he moved a bit too much to the side, making his layup a failure.

After Morant found a clip of his teammate’s failed attempt, he posted it on his Instagram story, poking fun at the 23-year-old. He wrote, “We got a lil work to do @kawamurayuki_8 come to school.”

Learning from the master might help Kawamura perfect it soon and then he can flaunt it in the G League. Morant holds the record of the most watched clip across NBA social media for the season with the layup.

A clip consisting of two of his 360 layups from the Brooklyn Nets game went viral on the internet earlier this month. On November 5^th, NBA Communications posted on X, “Ja Morant’s two acrobatic layups from last night’s Grizzlies-Nets game have generated 161M video views (and counting) across NBA social media.  Each play stands out as the most-viewed video on NBA platforms this season.”

Morant has already proven himself to be a good teacher for Kawamura. Apart from teaching the Japanese baller some of his moves, he has also taken up the responsibility of teaching him some American mannerisms that’d help him come off as aggressive.

In a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Kawamura was seen hitting Kevin Durant’s “too small” celebration from the bench. After Morant scored on Tyrese Maxey, he broke out the celly to acknowledge his teammate. When he was asked about the same later, he said, “It’s disrespect, right? I don’t like that. But if my teammates dunk on them, from the bench, I’ll do it.”

There aren’t many players in the league who are as smooth as Morant. So, Kawamura learning the ropes from him might help him develop a character fit for his personality.