Temetrius Jamel Morant, also known as Ja Morant, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays with the Memphis Grizzlies for the National Basketball Association. He was drafted in 2019, before that he also had a successful college basketball career.
Early life
Ja Morant was born on August 10, 1999 in Dalzell, South Carolina, USA to his parents, Tee Morant and Jamie Morant. He grew up in his hometown and played basketball and other sports since childhood. He was born into a family of athletes as his mother was a point guard in high school and also played softball while his father was a Claflin University basketball player and a professional ball player.
Morant is also known to have a sibling sister named Teniya who is also a high school basketball player. Jamel completed his high school education at Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He later attended Murray State University where he continued his studies and college basketball career. His first training in basketball was with his father, who taught him the basics.
Ja Morant Career
Ja Morant started playing basketball as a kid and began his career competing on the AAU Circuit. By the time he reached high school, he was already on good form in the sport, and by the end of his high school career he was an All-Region Most Valuable Player three times. He later attended Murray State University in 2016 and played his first season with great form. He also led the team to promotion to the NCAA tournament. Later, in his sophomore year, he started the season recording triple-doubles and also made history by scoring a player’s 12th most singles game points.
In 2019, he was also named a First Team All-American sophomore and was also in the top 25 watchlist for the John R Wooden Award. He was named OVA Player of the Year at the end of the season and went on to the NBA draft. Jamel was drafted as the number 2 pick for the Memphis Grizzlers team in 2019. He was also named the 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA All-Rookie First Team Honor for his amazing form in the 2019-20 rookie season.
The following year, he again maintained his form, also recording a career-best 44 points with 9 assists and 2 rebounds. Most recently, in the 2021-22 season, he was the season opener and in the final game against the Los Angeles Lakers he led the team to victory 127-119. His defense was highly praised and called the best block of the season. Justin Timberlake, among other things, has started campaigning for him to win the All-Star title for his amazing two-handed block in game. He was also named Player of the Week.
Ja Morant Social media
Jamel currently has 4.5 million followers on his Instagram account where he shares images and videos from his games, matches and career updates. He also likes to share pictures of his daughter Kaari. He currently has 1.4 million followers on Twitter while he has reached around 2.3 million people on his Facebook page.
Ja Morant biography | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Temetrius Jamel Morant |
| date of birth | Aug 10, 1999 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 22 years |
| place of birth | Dalzell, South Carolina, United States |
| nationality | American |
| job | basketball player |
| religion | Christianity |
| sun sign | Lion |
Physical Statistics | |
| height | in feet inches – 6′ 3” – in centimeters – 191cm |
| Weight | in kilograms – 79kg – in pounds – 174 pounds |
| shoe size | 12 (USA) |
| Hair color | black |
| eye color | black |
| body type | Sporty |
Ja Morant Family | |
| father | Tea Morant |
| mother | Jamie Morant |
| sister | Tenija Morant |
| Brothers | – |
Qualification/Education | |
| school | – |
| University | Murray State University |
Relationship status | |
| marital status | In relation |
| affair | Yes |
| Is he gay? | no |
| Girlfriend | Cadre Dixon |
| children | Kaari Jaidyn Morant |
Personal life
It is currently known that Ja Morant has been in a relationship with KK Dixon since 2018. He also has a daughter with her named Kaari Jaidyn Morant who was born in 2019. He hasn’t revealed much about his relationship with Dixon, nor has it been confirmed if they are still together. However, he often shares pictures with his daughter.
Ja Morant and his fortune
Ja Morant has had a successful basketball career and has been earning a steady income since turning pro in 2019. His exact income and net worth are unknown but are estimated to be at least around $3 million.
Facts About Ja Morant
- His father, Tee Morant, was a high school teammate of Ray Allen.
- After high school, he received only one NCAA Division 1 offer from South Carolina and was later spotted mid-program by Murray State University.
- He was one of the 20 players invited to Christ Paul’s Guard Camp in 2018.
- Rapper Moneybagg Yo released a song Rookie of the year to celebrate the title for Jamel in 2021.
- Ja also has a documentary series titled Promiseland that chronicles his first season in the NBA.