{"id":2039149,"date":"2026-07-12T00:07:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T21:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2039149"},"modified":"2026-07-12T00:07:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T21:07:58","slug":"ja-morant-wants-a-fresh-start-and-portland-has-laid-out-the-welcome-mat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2039149","title":{"rendered":"Ja Morant wants a fresh start, and Portland has laid out the welcome mat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LAS VEGAS \u2014 It\u2019s all wrong, Ja Morant says. His image, how other people see him \u2026 it\u2019s all wrong.<\/p>\n

Once the darling of the NBA, the next heartthrob to splash on posters and commercials, the acrobatic point guard concedes he is viewed negatively. He was twice suspended by the NBA<\/a> for brandishing a gun on social media, once suspended by Memphis for his on-court behavior<\/a>, and forever cemented as a problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bad guy,\u201d Morant said of his image.<\/p>\n

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On Saturday, while wearing a crisp, new black Portland Trail Blazers polo shirt, Morant talked of fresh starts, a rejuvenated and nature-loving version of himself and the desire to change narratives.<\/p>\n

He says he is not that bad guy some see.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Ja,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

And with that open-ended assessment, one of the great experiments in Trail Blazers history is underway.<\/p>\n

What does being Ja mean? And who exactly is Ja the player, and Ja the person?<\/p>\n

Is he the volatile and petulant point guard who argues with his coach? Or is he the captain former teammate Dillon Brooks raves about, the one who, Brooks says, cares more about his teammates than himself? Is he the injury-prone player who has played only 79 games over the last three seasons? Or is he the explosive, rim-attacking highlight reel who has made two All-Star teams?<\/p>\n

It will all be under the microscope this season in Portland. Morant knows the scrutiny is coming, and he says he is ready for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like over the years, I\u2019ve grown a lot,\u201d Morant said. \u201cYou know, I learned a lot. My mindset changed. \u2026 I go into things differently now. So, I just feel like I\u2019m more mature. I\u2019m just ready to work, y\u2019all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The pessimists will roll their eyes and poo-poo Morant\u2019s outlook. Seen it before, heard it before. But newly hired head coach Micah Nori, who had lunch with Morant last week in South Carolina, came away from his meeting impressed and insisting a better version of Morant was ahead. After listening in on Morant\u2019s interaction with the media on Saturday, Nori flashed an \u201cI-told-you-so\u201d look.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a bulls\u2014\u2014 when I see one,\u201d Nori said. \u201cAnd he\u2019s not bulls\u2014\u2014-.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n
\n \"Morant,<\/p>\n
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\n Morant, Blazers coach already on same page, ready \u2018to get the best version of Ja\u2019\n <\/div>\n
\n Micah Nori’s message to his new star: \u201cJust be you, be the best version of yourself.”\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Over the course of his 11-plus minutes answering questions, Morant said he doesn\u2019t care if he starts or comes off the bench. He said he cares only about winning. He said he is injury-free. And he said he wanted to continue wearing No. 12, but upon listening to the organization and its explanation that franchise standout LaMarcus Aldridge wore No. 12, he conceded and chose No. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe organization had other plans for (number 12),\u201d Morant said. \u201cSo, I honored it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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He chose No. 1 because it dovetails with a saying his mother instilled in him as a youth: you are beneath no one. So, on his social media, Morant played off the adage and his new number: Beneath No. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just something my mom always told me when I was younger,\u201d Morant said. \u201cObviously, I was underrecruited, so it was some type of motivation and confidence. So it was the first thing (his mother) texted me. \u2026 She texted how I could put the No. 1 under it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Saturday, it was clear Morant embarks on this chapter desiring to be loved. To be forgiven. And to be accepted and embraced.<\/p>\n

He said the gun issues that led to him being suspended twice are behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, obviously, I\u2019ve done what I\u2019ve done in the past, but it\u2019s been addressed and handled already, so I don\u2019t see why, years later, that\u2019s still the topic, when nothing happened since. You know?\u201d Morant said. \u201cAnd I felt like if I was that guy, y\u2019all wouldn\u2019t be talking to me now. I wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday night in Las Vegas, Morant sat with his new teammates at the Blazers\u2019 Summer League contest. As Morant laughed with Donovan Clingan and slapped Shaedon Sharpe on the knees, Brooks, one of his former teammates in Memphis, stopped to catch up. The two hugged like long-lost brothers. They smiled, and each took turns tightening his grip on the hug. It\u2019s the type of hug \u2014 that long, that hard, that intense \u2014 that comes only from deep friendship, deep understanding.<\/p>\n

I asked Brooks afterward what we need to understand about Morant, what should we know about him?<\/p>\n

He said we should understand he is an amazing teammate, one who organizes team dinners and looks after young players. And Brooks said Portland will fall in love with him, not only because he is an electric player, but also because he pours out what is poured in.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI would say treat him as he was your son, your brother, your uncle or family,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cBecause you will get a lot more back from him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morant already seems open to an extended embrace with Portland and Oregon. He talked Saturday about his newfound love of nature. In his home state of South Carolina this summer, he has been biking, kayaking and fishing.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Catch12 (@catch12media)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if y\u2019all been paying attention to me lately, but I\u2019ve been kind of into nature,\u201d Morant said. \u201cSo, I feel like (coming to Oregon) is a bonus for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is during these nature excursions that he has started to reflect on life. What he has been through, what is ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust being grateful for, you know, being alive \u2026 the things I do have, my family, and to now have a, you know, a fresh start,\u201d Morant said. \u201cIt was just mind-clearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

All that he seeks: love, forgiveness, acceptance \u2026 a fresh start. It\u2019s all here in Portland for Morant.<\/p>\n

This is a special city when it comes to its basketball team. We love nothing more than when the players meet us on our level. The ones who are curious about our city and come love it for all its quirks, all its beauties and all its struggles \u2026 they become one of us for life.<\/p>\n

Damian Lillard locked arms with us on the Burnside Bridge in protest of George Floyd\u2019s death. Bill Walton played hoops and soccer with us at Wallace Park, then rode his bike back to his Northwest Portland home. Brian Grant became a regular at Cafe du Berry, gushing over the decadent French toast. Clyde, Jerome, Terry, Uncle Cliffy \u2026 they all lived here long after their careers were over. And they all live in our hearts forever.<\/p>\n

Morant has that welcome mat in front of him now. Whether he walks in is up to him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS \u2014 It\u2019s all wrong, Ja Morant says. His image, how other people see him \u2026 it\u2019s all wrong. Once the darling of the NBA, the next heartthrob to splash on posters and commercials, the acrobatic point guard concedes he is viewed negatively. He was twice suspended by the NBA for brandishing a gun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2039149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2039149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039149\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2039149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2039149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2039149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}