You’d be hard-pressed to find a young NBA player with a more unwavering self belief than Ja Morant.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ high-flying point man is one of the best emerging hoopers in the Association, and after the scintillating showcase he put together last season — including posting 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game — it’s easy to see why Morant is high on himself.
However, many would believe his confidence veered into the irrational department this past week, when Morant told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks that he’d “cook” Michael Jordan during the height of his career.
“I would’ve cooked him,” Morant flatly told Rooks. “I wish I played in his generation. Just how he would go about the game, and the mindset he had, I would’ve liked to play against him.
“Nobody got more confidence than 12,” he added. “I’ll never say somebody’s going to beat me one-on-one. I don’t care [who] it is, or what sport. I want to be the goalie against [Lionel] Messi. Set it up, I’m confident.”
On Monday, Chris Broussard said Morant would stand no chance in the hypothetical matchup, though he’s not mad at the assertion.
“I love the mentality,” Broussard said on “First Things First.” “This is the mentality that allows you to go from Murray State to the All-Star Game.
“But there’s no way, no way would Ja have cooked Jordan. Now, could Ja have scored on Jordan? Sure. Could he have crossed him up like Allen Iverson famously did? Sure. But who would’ve gotten the best of who? Jordan would’ve gotten the best of Ja. He’s 6-foot-6. Ja is 6-foot-3. And to go along with that height advantage, he’s just as athletic as Ja, if not more.”
Ja Morant claims he’d cook Michael Jordan 1-on-1
Ja Morant has a fan in Chris Broussard, but he doesn’t believe that the rising star could have defeated Michael Jordan in a one-on-one match in his peak.
From a statistical perspective, Jordan outperforms Morant over the first three seasons of both players.
While Morant has yet to play more than 70 games in a single season, Jordan played all 82 games in two of his first three seasons. Before entering Year 4, both players had Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-Rookie, and Second-Team All-NBA accolades on their credit. However, Jordan had three All-Star games to Morant’s one, ended sixth in the MVP vote in 1985, and finished second in voting in 1987. He also led the NBA in scoring (37.1 PPG) in win shares that year, earning a spot on the All-NBA First-Team (16.9).
