Ja Morant has been an impressive player since he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019. He spearheaded a new era in Memphis as they separated themselves from the Grit and Grind era of the 2010s.

Since Ja is a superstar player, he looks up to some of the biggest stars in NBA history. A player he gives the ultimate respect for is Michael Jordan, known as the greatest player of all time by most of the NBA community.

“I wish I played against his generation. How he goes about the game, the mindset he had, I would like to know how to play against him,” Ja said in an interview with Taylor Rooks in 2022. “I would’ve cooked him too. Nobody got more confidence than 12. I’m never gonna go say nobody would beat me in a one-on-one.”

Morant knows Jordan’s influence on the sport
Any NBA player needs to recognize Jordan’s importance for the sport worldwide. He became the best player in the league and brought attention to basketball beyond what Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did during the 1980s.

Since Morant is an NBA player now, he knows the benefit the legends gave him. They inspired generations of basketball players and made the NBA such a big league that players like Ja earn millions in the modern era.

Jordan’s impact on the NBA is warranted, and Morant recognizes how much MJ influenced players. Most basketball players saw dunking as more of an exciting way to play basketball, but he proved that it could be a primary weapon in an offensive player’s arsenal. You can see how Ja plays basketball, with dunking being a vital part of his game.

The former Murray State guard would not be as effective as he is now if he did not regularly throw down dunks. Thankfully, MJ and his peers like Dominique Wilkins made dunking a big part of their play styles, so having Ja play that way has been superb for the Grizzlies.

Morant does not lack confidence
Morant appreciates Jordan for what he did but believes he would win a one-on-one game. Most people would take Michael for being arguably the most accomplished player in NBA history. Ja is a star NBA player, and they need to be irrationally confident to succeed in such a league.

He even went on to say that he would take himself in one-on-one games against any athlete in their respective sport. It is the confidence a star player needs in the NBA because other players will look for weaknesses and believe in themselves as the best characteristic in such a cerebral sport.