Ja Morant has been one of the NBA’s best rookies in 2019-20. The Memphis Grizzlies point guard, selected with the No. 2 overall pick in June, has put up Rookie of the Year-type numbers (18.4 points per game, 6.7 assists per game) while regularly wowing fans with his outstanding athleticism, which has led to more than his fair share of highlight-reel plays.
On Friday night, Morant’s Grizzlies were facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game most NBA fans could be forgiven if they’d ignored it, but he gave everyone reason to take notice with a dunk attempt that had to be seen to be believed.
Ja ALMOST gave Kevin Love the Frederic Weis treatment ?
cc: @mrvincecarter15 pic.twitter.com/4HzkRroF4p
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 21, 2019
Note the word “attempt” in the previous sentence. Morant, as seen in the video above, didn’t actually make the dunk. It goes down as just another missed field goal (one of seven on the night for Morant), and probably the most famous “stop” for Kevin Love since the 2016 NBA Finals.
After the game, Love had a sense of humor about his near-poster experience.
Ja almost ended my professional career with this dunk…that kid is something special ?????? https://t.co/5SxCItAMba
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) December 21, 2019
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Ja Morant drives and leaps over Kevin Love for the thunderous dunk — but he misses.
Who knows what would have happened if Morant’s dunk had gone in. Would it have led to a momentum swing to give the Grizzlies the win (the Cavs won 114-107)? Would Love really have been forced to retire? Would the game have ended right there, And1 Mixtape Tour style? Or maybe Love’s teammates would have just abandoned him, leaving him “Home Alone.”
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