Shaq explains why Ja Morant is the best player in the NBA

Ja Morant has turned the Memphis Grizzlies into must-watch television. His electric play reminds us of a young Derrick Rose and he’s even shown glimpses of Allen Iverson every now and then.

Morant wasn’t a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school and he hard to work his way to the top. Now, he’s a legit MVP candidate and one of the most entertaining players to watch in the Association.

He’s been so good and so quickly, that even Shaquille O’Neal recently went as far as to say that he’s the best player in the NBA. Per Shaq, it’s not just about his game but his attitude towards the game.

Shaq Says Ja Morant Is The Best Player In The League

“You should’ve seen this little kid’s face when I said ‘Yo man, you’re the best player in the league. He was like ‘huh?’ and I’m not playing with you bro, you’re the best–for real. I promise you’re the best,” Shaq said of Morant. “Ja is good, Penny was like that, Kobe was like that. This kid, it will definitely be his league in a few years.”

Shaq Loves Morant’s Attitude

This isn’t the first time that Shaq raves about Morant’s mindset. Not so long ago, he compared him to a young Kobe Bryant and how both players were eager and determined to prove that they were better than most people thought:

“I wasn’t talking about the player. I was talking about the attitude. When Kobe came in at 19 he knew he was the s**t, he just knew it,” Shaq said.“The coach will be like, ‘don’t do that play,’ Kobe would be like, ‘nope I’m doing it.’ Like this kid is really freaking good and he knows it.”

“And there’s not a lot of people you can say that about in this league as a young player. That’s what I mean by that,” Shaq added. “He knows it, he wasn’t highly drafted, wasn’t highly talked about, made a name for himself late in the NCAA, but he knows he’s good. He knows that’s his team and he’s playing really well. That’s what I meant by that.”

That mentality is what can turn a very good player into a legend. Ja Morant’s NBA journey is just getting started and, barring injury, he’s going to be a superstar for many, many years to come.