Ja Morant did his thing on the court on New Year’s day and scored 35 points, and his Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 118-108. Morant remains the most entertaining player in the NBA.
Dishing, dunking, doing it all 🐻
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2023
Ja Morant opened 2023 with 35 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST & a @memgrizz win! pic.twitter.com/48m4TsgCoM
However, Morant’s best play of the night — and the best highlight of the game — was when he gave a new pair of signed Ja 1 shoes to a young fan courtside and made his day.
a special Ja 1 delivery from @JaMorant 💙 pic.twitter.com/6WPf0sIUHJ
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 2, 2023
Players giving their shoes to fans courtside remains one of the NBA’s best (and least discussed) traditions. That’s how you connect with fans.