Ja Morant did not mince words when asked who the best in-game dunker in NBA history is. His answer was quick and it was direct.
“Any name you say after this, it’s gonna be me,” Morant said in an interview with Overtime.
That puts him ahead of Vince Carter. Ahead of Zion Williamson. Ahead of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and every high-flyer who ever threw down in a real game. At least in his own mind.
The timing is interesting. Morant just got traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal headlined by Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. It was a franchise reset for both sides. Memphis moved on from their star guard after seven seasons, and Portland brought in a 6-foot-2 guard whose game was built on aerial assault but has taken some hits lately.
Morant has dealt with injuries over the last few seasons that maybe cost him a step. The league has noticed the dip. Some teams wonder if the athleticism that made him must-watch TV is fading. But Morant is betting on himself, same as always.
And honestly? The tape backs him up. At his peak in Memphis, Morant was one of the most fearless rim attackers the league has ever seen. He didn’t care who was waiting at the basket. He went at Rudy Gobert. He went at Anthony Davis. He went at anyone. For a 6-foot-2 guard to consistently posterize seven-footers is rare. For him to do it with that level of swagger is even rarer.
The Blazers now have a backcourt with Morant, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday. That’s a lot of point guards. But it also means Morant doesn’t have to carry the entire franchise alone. In Memphis, he was the guy. Everything ran through him. In Portland, he shares the floor with other veterans who can handle the ball, set him up, and take pressure off his shoulders.
A fresh start might be exactly what he needs. The last couple years in Memphis were rocky. Not just injuries but off-court issues that cost him games and goodwill. The trade gives him a clean slate on a team that can afford to let him find his rhythm without demanding he be Superman every night.
If Morant gets back to attacking the rim like he did in his prime, the dunk debate gets a lot more interesting. Carter had the 2000 dunk contest and the Olympic jump over a French center. Morant has a body of work in actual games that stacks up against anyone. He might not win the argument with old heads. But he’s not backing down from it either.
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