Ja Morant Gives Victor Wembanyama “Christmas Gift” a Week Later

Ja Morant is going viral for his monster dunk on “Alien” Victor Wembanyama. With 9:15 left on the clock, Morant drives to the basket dribbles past Wemby, and dunks on the 7’4 young big man! The Grizzlies finish with an emphatic 106-98 against the San Antonio Spurs.

When asked about the moment, Morant had a cheeky response. “That’s what everybody wanted, so that’s my late Christmas gift,” he said. There is no doubt that Wembanyama will forget that gift any time soon.

Aside from the wild moment, the controversial Memphis star guard also landed a double-double, leading all scorers with 26 points, along with 10 assists. Santi Aldama also had a neat night as he joined Ja for the second double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Right behind Morant was Desmond Bane with 23 points.

And the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game skid tonight. Ja Morant’s return allowed the ‘Volunteer State’ a sigh of relief as they went on a four-game winning streak before the Nuggets crushed them. Even so, the team had put up quite a fight. It’s clear that Ja Morant’s boundless energy and winning ways are getting to his teammates as well.

Ja Morant and Co. capitalize on the Spurs’ offensive struggles

San Antonio starts the year with a 5-24 record, holding the last position in the Western Conference. It was a given that the Silver & Black would have to figure out things on the go, but signing Victor Wembanyama was the silver lining. And the 19-year-old has delivered. In fact, Wemby has been consistent in his stats, currently averaging 18.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks on 53.3 TS%.

Read More: Clippers HC Refuses to Write off Grizzlies After Ja Morant Return: “You Don’t Want to See Them…”

The Frenchman also leads the team in points and rebounds per game. The youngest team in the league, their “veteran”, Zach Collins, had turned just 26 last November. Tonight, too, Wembanyama led the scorers with 20 points while Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 12 points each. Keldon Johnson was a point behind Victor as he landed 19 points, grabbed six rebounds, and provided four assists.

Tonight’s offensive struggles were the result of not being consistent. Pop knows it, the team knows it, and the rest of the NBA world knows it. Gregg Popovich had brought this to attention after their loss to the Utah Jazz on December 26th. He had said that the team was still looking for consistency.

“We go in spurts and really haven’t matured enough to understand that winning an NBA game is difficult and calls for consistency,” the Hall of Fame coach admitted. A franchise that’s in the rebuilding stage around a 19-year-old “generational talent” with an equally young core is what Pop’s statement calls our attention to. This does give them the luxury of tinkering with and figuring out what works the best.

Until then, the Spurs’ fans will have to be patient.

Watch This Story: Victor Wembanyama Impresses Dwight Howard With Record-Breaking Game