The clash against the Memphis Grizzlies was more closely fought than the Los Angeles Lakers would’ve liked it to be. The bout at the FedEx Forum witnessed 16 lead changes and 11 ties. However, LeBron James managed to seal the game for his team with a vicious dunk. Following his game-winning dunk, the King also had a hilarious interaction with Ja Morant. Details of the leaked audio reveal that Morant sent out a warning to the 6ft 9” forward.
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The Los Angeles Lakers were leading by 3 points during the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. Chasing for the loose ball, the Grizzlies’ Jack White kept the ball in play. Unfortunately, White found a chasing LeBron James who would go on to slam down an emphatic reverse dunk. Sealing the game, leading by 5 points with almost 5 seconds to go, James then had a funny interaction with Ja Morant.
The LA star stood right in front of Morant hyping up his dunk. The latter decided to playfully push the 39-year-old who jogged back with a grin on his face.
According to a popular X (formerly “Twitter”) user, @legendz_nba, in the leaked audio from their interaction, the guard warned James to beware when he makes his return.
“Wait until I suit up,” Morant told James.
A torn labrum in his right shoulder is why Morant missed out on the season. Back in the first week of January, after having played merely 9 games since serving his 25-game suspension, Morant hurt his shoulder and got a season-ending surgery to recover from the same. In those 9 games, the 24-year-old entertained fans as he recorded 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists, leading the Memphis side to an impressive 6-3 record.
Apart from Ja Morant, Taylor Jenkins’ has also had other crucial players – Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Derrick Rose, and Brandon Clarke – sidelined with injuries for the majority of the season. Right now, the Grizzlies are one of the worst teams in the league. But when healthy, this young group has proven to be lethal enough to upset the biggest powerhouses in the league.
Ja Morant is on good terms with LeBron James
The interaction between LeBron James and Ja Morant was merely playful banter. Since the latter joined the league in 2019, LeBron has praised him on numerous occasions.
The 15 duels that took place between the two have been entertaining, to say the least. While James has won more games, including a postseason series, Morant’s showed off his deep offensive arsenal, recording 24.7 points per game.
Both superstars being associated with Nike is a similarity that helps bring them closer. Earlier this offseason, when the Ja 1 was released, James even commented on the same.
“First of all, speaking on Ja, it’s amazing to have him as part of signature (shoes) crew at Nike. What he brings to the group of guys… Ja’s are electric,” LeBron said.
Back in 2021, after a clash against the King, Morant also lauded him. Referring to LBJ as his “guy”, the Grizzlies guard called the LA star “one of the greatest”.
“He’s done so much in his career. Still going at it at the age he’s at now,” Morant said, per Evan Barnes of Memphis Commercial Appeal. “He’s been dominant since his rookie season, one of the greatest to ever play this game. That’s my guy.”
Even during this season, when Ja Morant was about to make his return to the lineup after serving his 25-game suspension, James was among the athletes who wished the youngster. Apart from welcoming the highflyer back, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer also hoped to see him flourish as he did before.
Fans of the franchise cannot wait for their leader to fully heal from his injury and bring back glory to the Memphis Grizzlies.
