There is simply no way to become a superstar at the NBA level without the ability to believe that you are the best. While there can only be one GOAT, every great player in the league’s history has considered themselves to be the best at one point or another. Ja Morant, who is just making his mark, is no different. He caused a bit of a stir recently when he backed himself to beat Michael Jordan if the two faced off.
Now, MJ made a career out of giving defenders nightmares. And while Morant has shown he can make life hard for just about anyone, he’s not near MJ’s level yet. Vernon Maxwell, who won two rings with the Houston Rockets, knows a thing or two about it. Maxwell explained recently how the prospect of facing Jordan would give him sleepless nights when he saw the schedule.
In the same interview with Gilbert Arenas on his No Chill podcast, Maxwell gave Ja a bit of a reality check. He slammed the Grizzlies star for suggesting that he would be able to cook MJ.
(starts at 1:40 minutes):
.@VernonMaxwell11 is here to remind these young players (e.g. @JaMorant) that they don't want no part of prime Michael Jordan
😂😂😂@KingJosiah54 x Agent Zero x Mad Max: https://t.co/H9fj9D4QZl pic.twitter.com/SD3siW8Lg2
— Fubo Sports Network (@fuboSports) August 1, 2022
“All these kids talk a lot of sh*t. Ja – you know I love you and your dad – but hey man, stop that sh*t man. You ain’t want them problems, bruh. I’m telling you, Ja. I’m looking at all these damn cameras, yeah, you don’t want them problems bruh.”
There isn’t much of a comparison between Morant and MJ even when it comes to their 3rd seasons in the league. MJ was averaging a whopping 10 points more than Morant at the same point in his career. Morant and the Grizzlies did an excellent job last season, but if he wants to be thought of as ‘that guy’ then he will have to take another leap next season and try to carry his team to the Western Conference Finals.
