After the Los Angeles Lakers’ thrashing of the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, past comments from Grizzlies guard Ja Morant were gleefully thrown back in his face on social media.
Respect the King 😤 https://t.co/mKV6391Kj5
— GoldAbdi 👑 (@itsGoldAbdi) April 29, 2023
Don’t wanna hear shit bout Memphis Grizzlies no more till further Notice!!!!!! this ah teach 4Ktrey @JaMorant to watch yo damn mouth during interviews y’all not like that https://t.co/GoPvshsv5I
— Breadwinner💯💚 (@93Deejay_) April 29, 2023
Learn some respect https://t.co/IRqfb92FwF
— O A B (@IamSirOAB) April 29, 2023
Sometimes in basketball, politics and definitely in life you have to remind folks of who you are, what you have done and what you will continue to do! Let’s go!!! @Lakers https://t.co/kR6ULGvhe8
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) April 29, 2023
Always chirping 🤦🏽♂️ https://t.co/ZtgJNXMPau
— Jefe 🇨🇲 (@KarlArmel) April 29, 2023
My man @KingJames sealed the deal!!! #ByeMemphis ✌🏾 https://t.co/7lY9VG6XLQ pic.twitter.com/l2tB0cnXrt
— Tee Micole (@Steelers_Diva1) April 29, 2023
Goofies! https://t.co/mZJZNIf5l7
— V (@VinoBeenKnew) April 29, 2023
The 125-85 victory by the Lakers in Game 6 eliminated the Grizzlies and capped an upset of the team that finished the regular season with the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Morant’s air of confidence clearly indicated that he expected the Grizzlies to eventually reach the 2023 NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Instead, Morant and his teammates find themselves on the outside looking in after just one round of the postseason.
When Morant made his bold statement about the Western Conference in December, the Lakers didn’t look like contenders. Even during the closing weeks of the regular season, the Lakers weren’t sure that they would reach the postseason, much less advance.
Yet, the Lakers clearly showed the Grizzlies that they’re a dangerous team, capable of springing an upset.
The first evidence of that ability to stun an opponent came in the opening clash of the series. In that contest, the Lakers won 128-112, due in part to some fourth-quarter heroics from guard Austin Reaves that led to plenty of social media chatter.
As the series progressed, contentious feelings between the two teams surfaced. Much of that was driven by Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks, who ridiculed Lakers superstar LeBron James about his age and other topics.
Brooks’ inability to keep quiet likely helped fuel the Lakers’ drive and resulted in James and his teammates taking a 3-1 lead in the series. After the Grizzlies kept the series alive with a win on Wednesday night, the Lakers made sure to slam shut any thoughts of a comeback with their 40-point win in Game 6.
Earlier this week, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins pointed to his team’s struggles in the area of maturity. The aforementioned actions by Brooks and Morant are clear examples of that, though it may take a while to see if the two young players learn from their past actions.
The Lakers, on the other hand, have the luxury of waiting on their next opponent. That will be determined on Sunday afternoon, when the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors battle in Game 7 of their playoff series.
