The Big Lead

Ja Morant 'dead serious' about his new no-highlight dunk policy

By Joe Lago

Dec 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) shoots as Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Dec 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) shoots as Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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Rest in peace, exciting Ja Morant dunk highlights.

The Memphis Grizzlies star guard's high-flying, gravity-defying drives to the rim will be a thing of the past. He said Tuesday that he will no longer attack the basket with the same ferocity that made him one of the NBA's must-see performers.

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"I'm not trying to dunk at all," Morant told reporters after the Grizzlies' 121-115 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas. "Y'all think I'm lying. I'm dead serious."

Morant doesn't see the benefit of viciously dunking on people anymore after six injury-filled NBA seasons. As ESPN's Tim MacMahon pointed out, the 6-foot-2, 174-pound Morant has only three dunks in 12 games in his 2024-25 campaign.

"Sometimes I get knocked out the air and (a foul) don't get called, and now I'm out longer than what I'm supposed to be," Morant explained. "Sometimes the foul might get called. I still hit the floor, but after the game you might feel that little fall. So I just pick and choose, man.

"Hey, two points is two points. I get it done. That's all that matters."

Morant even got booed by Mavs fans after he opted for an ordinary two-hand slam on a fast break.

"It was still a dunk. It was just not the dunk they wanted to see," Morant said. "But if they boo me off a little rim-grazer, I'm fine with that."

Maybe not so coincidentally, Morant shared his new no-dunk policy on the same night Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins complained about the Grizzlies' lack of calls from the referees.

Jenkins called out a huge disparity in free throws, which favored Dallas 44-14.

"I'm going to be very careful with my words and stuff, but I hope it's very clear," Jenkins said. "In an NBA Cup, I don't know how you have an NBA team shoot 30 more free throws."

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