Nike revealed the college exclusive editions for the fourth installment of Ja Morant‘s signature sneakers, the Ja 4s, on Thursday. The lineup featured Morant’s alma mater, the Murray State Racers, alongside Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, LSU, and Oregon.
The release received backlash from Memphis fans, as there was no representation for the Tigers. Morant became a household name after spending seven seasons with the Grizzlies, so it was upsetting for fans to see the Memphis Tigers get snubbed by the college-exclusive sneakers.
Thanks for the submission!
On Friday, Morant broke his silence on the snub on X.
•
“Shoes come from the team requesting. i don’t just pick and choose. Teams get to choose out of all the Nike shoes. They went another route,” he wrote.
The former Grizzlies star blamed the Tigers and avoided accountability for the snub. Morant’s time in Memphis is remembered more for the controversies he was involved in as a Grizzlies player than for his efforts to bring a championship to the city.
The Grizzlies made the playoffs four times during Morant’s seven seasons, with their best result being a 2-4 loss to the Warriors in the second round of the 2021-2022 season.
Ja Morant ditches signature dreads for new look while rehabbing injury
Ja Morant ditched his iconic signature dreadlocks for a cleaner look as he recovers from a hamstring strain. On Wednesday, the Trail Blazers star shared videos and pictures of his new look on Instagram.
In the video, Morant is sitting on a chair as the barber measures the length of a single dreadlock that has become a part of his identity in the last few seasons. The new haircut featured a much cleaner look with medium-length hair, which was reminiscent of the two-time All-Star’s first few seasons in the league.
Morant suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain on Oct. 29 in the Trail Blazers’ 124-103 loss to the Grizzlies; it was his first game against his former team since he was traded in June. According to the Blazers’ announcement, he is scheduled to be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Read More:
NBA Fans Hilariously React to Deni Avdija Calling New Co-Star a “Kid” on Draymond Green’s Podcast
Edited by Avi Shravan
