MURRAY, Ky. — Ja Morant is a two-time NBA all-star, rookie of the year winner and most improved player in 2022 but being inducted into Murray State's hall of fame on Saturday night was a humbling moment for the Memphis Grizzlies superstar.
"There's a lot of people that have won an NBA game before, there's a lot of people that have probably had a triple-double before but you can't say too many have actually gone into the hall of fame at their college," Morant said on Thursday at his youth camp. "I'm grateful, thankful and very appreciative of everything."
Morant was inducted into the Racer hall of fame in front of a packed house which included Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins and general manager Zach Kleiman.
"I'm pretty sure everyone knows the recent events that happened," Morant said. "It's a lot of decisions each one of you could have made whether to support me or not but to see you all here means a lot and I really appreciate that."
The point guards head coach at Murray State and now head coach at LSU, Matt McMahon was also in attendance.
"This guy is the real deal, he is the real deal," McMahon. "While not perfect and occasionally taking a defensive possession off, Ja Morant is this idea of the American dream."
Morant spent two years in Murray from 2017 to 2019 before being drafted No. 2 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
During Morant's time, the Racers won two Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships and went to the NCAA Tournament twice.
Morant was named the OVC Player of the Year in 2019 and was a two-time All-OVC selection. He became the school's first consensus All-American.
Morant claimed the school's all-time record for assists (532) in just two years and led the country in assists per game (10.0). His 1,213 points is 31st all-time at Murray State. Morant's jersey already hangs in the rafters at CFSB Center, retired in 2020.