Ja Morant is turning a lot of heads to him recently. Ever since he entered the league in 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies standout demonstrated he was ready for big stages, which hasn’t changed after three seasons in the association.
The point guard won the 2020 Rookie of the Year award and he’s not stopping there. He’s aiming even higher now and is getting MVP buzz given his recent performances for the Grizzlies. Kendrick Perkins has become a big admirer of Ja and has made bold claims about the young player.
A couple of days ago, he said Morant is the MVP of the league if the regular season ended right now. That was met with skepticism by fans, but Perkins hasn’t stopped there.
He raised the bar for the 22-year-old, claiming he could reach the same level as Michael Jordan, widely considered the GOAT. That’s a lot of pressure for Ja, but Perks believes that’s how great the player can be in the league. During a recent edition of ESPN’s First Take, he had this to say:
“Ja Morant, when you talk about it his ceiling, as far as his career is Jordaness. When Michael Jordan came into the league in 1984, no one expected him to pan out the way he did and when he came in with Bird, Isiah Thomas, and Magic Johnson. And then all of a sudden rose to the top as the No 3 pick. Ja Morant the No 2 pick, every year he’s getting better, every year he’s opening eyes, every year he’s shocking the world. He’s doing things and he’s winning.”
Perkins doubled down on those comments on Twitter, saying he doesn’t expect people to believe him right now, but in 10 years, everybody will see he was right all along.
“Yeah I believe [Ja Morant] has a Michael Jordan type of ceiling. And I don’t expect you to agree but save this tweet and @ me in 10 years!! Carry the hell on…”
Yeah I believe @JaMorant has a Michael Jordan type of ceiling. And I don’t expect you to agree but save this tweet and @ me in 10 years!! Carry the hell on… pic.twitter.com/QpjkLWBuZl
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 7, 2022
Perkins isn’t shy when it comes to bold claims. He’s constantly speaking his mind even if that earns him a lot of criticism from fans. The 2008 NBA champion is really high on Morant, and there’s no doubt he’ll be great in the league. However, comparing him to Michael Jordan is a little too much. Ja can become a superstar in the future, but MJ is on another level compared to the rest of the NBA players.
Still, we could look back in 10 years and read that tweet from Perk and see if he was right or had a huge miss again. Meanwhile, Morant is leading the Grizzlies to the 4th seed in the West in his 3rd season in the league. They’re shocking the world right now and their star is playing at a high level. Don’t sleep on Ja or the Grizzlies, because they’ll make you pay.
