Ja Morant didn’t mince his words after the Grizzlies defeated the Lakers on Wednesday. Morant said he has had issues with the Lakers since they eliminated Memphis in the first round of the playoffs in 2023. Not only this, he had an intense back-and-forth with LeBron James during the game, making it clear that he wasn’t there to make any friends. But a former Grizzlies player has urged him to look past the problems and not burn the bridge to LA.

Speaking after the 131-114 win, Morant told the reporters, “I don’t like them. They knocked me out of the playoffs. And then last year we had a game, and they came here and popped it on our home floor when I was in street clothes. I wasn’t tonight.” Morant was crucial in the Grizzlies’ win despite playing only 24 minutes. He tied for the team lead with 20 points and had five assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block.

While his play impressed the on-lookers, his comments about the Lakers caught far more attention. Addressing the situation, former point guard, Gil Arenas surprisingly suggested that Ja Morant consider the Lakers instead of dismissing them entirely.

“Ja man, listen, you don’t need to hate us like… Join us. Yeah. No, that’s what I’m trying to say. LA will love you, man. Like listen, listen, whatever you need we can provide for you.” Arenas counseled on his podcast.

Arenas then hilariously mentioned, “If Shannon gotta go, Shannon gotta go; we can revoke his tickets if you want to come, it’s all I’m saying. Whoever you don’t want in the crowd, we will do that for you. So don’t just hate the Lakers as hate. You don’t like them right now. Just keep the options open, it’s all I’m saying.” 

Well, if you are wondering why Shannon Sharpe has been dragged into this conversation, let us remind you there is some history between Ja Morant’s father Tee Morant, and avid Lakers supporter Sharpe.

In January 2023, Tee, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Sharpe got into a heated altercation at halftime during a game against the Lakers. LeBron & Co. won the game 122-121 against the Grizzlies. The altercation between Tee Morant and Sharpe eventually had a happy ending with both hugging it out later that night.

While Areans and some Lakers fans will be keen to see Morant take up the Purple and Gold, an immediate switch may not be on his mind. Before the start of the season, he talked about his situation and said, “Right now, I’m happy, and that’s my main focus. Right now, I’m probably the happiest I feel like I’ve been in a while.”

Moreover, in 2022 Morant signed a five-year, $197.2 million rookie contract extension, which means he is locked in with the franchise until the 2027/28 season. Meanwhile, rumors suggest JJ Redick & LA’s front office are thinking of trading D’Lo and Austin Reaves for a blockbuster addition. So, if Ja Morant can move past his dislike for the team and hand in an unlikely trade request, he could find himself playing alongside LeBron James.

However, it looks like the 25-year-old point guard might be in extra trouble following his altercation with the Lakers icon.

Is Ja Morant’s multi-million Nike deal at risk?

During the Wednesday clash, James hit the “too little” celebration on Morant after scoring a basket on him. Not to be outdone, Morant responded with a “too little” of his own after a possession. Morant also shoved James after scoring a basket, for which he received a technical foul.

Speaking about the exchange with James after the game, he said, “I think I did the ‘too small’ to somebody who was too small. Came back and did it respectfully. …He did it, and I don’t back down from nobody. I don’t care who you are. My job was to just come back. I got my bucket, and I set the tone. My teammates fed off of it, and you see what happens. Top dog in our league. You take out the top dog, who else you fear?” However, could this mean trouble for Morant?

LeBron James is the face of Nike and going head-to-head against him could have its consequences. Ja Morant’s theatrics with the King on Wednesday might put his $12 million deal with the sports brand at risk according to former professional footballer Maurice Clarett.

At the Come and Talk 2 Me show, Clarett speculated: “He [Ja Morant] might be f*****g up his Nike situation. LeBron a big dog in Nike right? You can only go so far. You don’t need LeBron like blocking you when you trying to like climb the the ranks of Nike.”

However, Morant’s bold and fearless approach towards the Lakers and someone as powerful as LeBron James is commendable. Clarett also added that Ja Morant embodies Memphis’ spirit and he’s carrying the team. His hunger to win and his blunt attitude is making all the difference.

The Grizzlies point guard so far has a 20.5 points average in the 2024/25 season with 5 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. The Memphis Grizzlies currently have 6 wins out of 10 games which is impressive. A major credit has to go to Morant for his relentless efforts to do more. Besides, the other hoopers on the team like the Japanese prodigy Yuki Kawamura are doing wonders.

Will Morant’s attitude carry the Grizzlies far? Or will it come back to bite them given that the player will be under more scrutiny than ever before?