Ja Morant isn’t here for the Memphis slander, especially when the NBA Finals are going on.
After ESPN’s First Take host Stephen A. Smith made critical remarks about the city of Memphis on Tuesday morning’s show, Morant didn’t stay quiet.
He fired off a pointed social media response, taking aim at ESPN’s coverage and defending his city in the process.
instead of focusing on the performances we seen from jdub/shai, tj/siakam, how this series is going. we say sumn negative about a city/team on a national level.
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) June 17, 2025
Smith’s comments came while discussing the Grizzlies’ recent trade of Desmond Bane to Orlando.
“The people in Memphis… it’s a great sports town, great fans, great people,” Smith began. “But there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis. You’ve gotta clean some of that stuff up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it. I know. They told me.”
The Grizzlies are in the middle of a massive transition after sending Bane to the Magic in a blockbuster deal that netted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-rounders, and a pick swap.
Naturally, this has sparked rumors that Morant could be next on the trading block.
But what’s clear, whether he stays or eventually moves on, is that Morant still rides for Memphis.
