Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has found a new friend in rookie point guard Yuki Kawamura. As a good friend, Morant has already assumed the responsibility of teaching the newly recruited Japanese star some gestures that will make him an intimidating presence on the court.
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The 23-year-old recently revealed that Morant is teaching him how to do Kevin Durant’s “too small” celebration. The NBA veteran brings out this celly/signature taunt often after he scores on someone. KD recently taunted Luka Doncic after making a difficult, contested basket over the Mavericks superstar.
In the last game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Morant scored on Tyrese Maxey and pointed to the Grizzlies bench. The Japanese PG was then seen hitting the “too small” celly to celebrate Morant’s shot. When he was later asked about the move later, Kawamura described the inception of the celly.
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.” While 5-foot-8 guard believes it’s the wrong thing to do, he is still committed to pulling off the gesture to support his team.
Yuki Kawamura said that Ja Morant taught him this celebration yesterday:
"So small, right?"
"It's disrespect, right? I don't like that. But if my teammates dunk on them, from the bench, I'll do it." https://t.co/12TjaK68ux
— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) November 3, 2024
Learning how to trash talk properly will also help Kawamura adjust to the NBA culture and customs.
GG Jackson revealed on Run It Back that some of the Grizzlies players are trying to teach Kawamura some swear words as well. Jackson himself has only taught him slangs like, “On god,” “On my mama,” and “Keepin’ it P.”
It’s good to see the youngster bonding with his teammates. Kawamura is slowly becoming everyone’s favorite on the team, but no one is as fond of him as Morant.
Morant speaks on the joy Yuki Kawamura is bringing to the team
Kawamura went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. There’s no questioning the talent that the 23-year-old brings to the table. However, his size has been a deterrent for many sides picking him.
In any case, the Japanese is not too worried about all that after finding a home in Memphis. The young Grizzlies squad likes to have a lot of fun when they play together. Kawamura is fitting into the team like a piece of the puzzle and Morant is loving every minute of it.
In his conversation with the Memphis Commercial Appeal, he said, “A lot of stuff he learns and he just say and it don’t be at the right moment. But aye man, it’s Yuki. It’s his world and we’re just living in it…”
“He just brings a light and joy to the team. Just making sure he’s as comfortable as possible. Just making sure that he’s being him, and he ain’t shying away from it at all.”
Other players on the team are also liking the new energy that Kawamura has brought to the organization. More importantly, they’re enjoying seeing Morant in his company.
