“It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.” With this quote, today we are introducing you to the adorable NBA dad and son duo. Tee Morant, Memphis Grizzlies' Point guard Ja Morant's father, says he has only missed one of Ja’s basketball games since he was six years old. What's more, Tee is a former basketball at Claflin University and narrowly missed making an NBA roster.
Tee got more into the spotlight when he came to cheer his son up in a match between Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves. The game happened on April 26, 2022. Tee grabbed the media's attention when he sat next to famous American singer Usher. People assumed they were look-alikes.
Tee Morant played high school basketball at Hillcrest High in Dalzell alongside future NBA star Ray Allen, who spent 18 seasons in the league. He then laced up for the Claflin University Panthers in Orangeburg (S.C.).
Tee Morant attending the Memphis game. SOURCE: Twitter @thefishnation After joining free agency camps and playing internationally, he narrowly missed playing in the NBA after his career at Claflin.
However, his professional aspirations were cut short when he found out his wife was pregnant with Ja. After quitting basketball, he supported the family by becoming a barber. Tee Morant could never play in the NBA as his career was shortened and moved to another profession. His son Ja Morant has been playing at the NBA since 2020 after Grizzlies drafted him in the 1st round 2nd pick overall.
What Tee couldn’t accomplish himself, he passed down to his son, Ja Morant. His only purpose was to inject his ambitious pedigree into Ja without the negative traits that cut his career short.
Tee said, “The negative things I had in me, I wanted to keep out of him, as far as the going out and all that. I wanted him to focus on his dream. I didn’t put 100 percent in mine."
Tee Morant and Ja Morant. SOURCE: Tri-State Defender Ja Morant finished his high school career playing at Crestwood High School, earning All-Region Most Valuable Player three times and earning All-State honors. However, he was only lightly recruited by NCAA Division I programs and was unranked by recruiting services.
Nevertheless, Morant made an instant impression at Murray State University. earning first-team all-conference honors in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during his freshman season. He had a breakout sophomore season where he won OVC Player of the Year and led the NCAA in assists.
Also, as a sophomore, Morant became the first player in NCAA history to average 20-plus points and 10-plus assists per game for a single season. In the 2019 NBA Draft, Morant was selected by the Grizzlies as the second overall pick. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020.
Tee Morant is married to Jamie Morant, a high school point guard, and a college softball player. While Tee was playing semi-professionally overseas, Jamie became pregnant with Ja. Then, he quit his basketball career and stayed at home.
Tee Morant and his wifey. SOURCE: Daily Mail On August 10, 1999, the couple had their first child, a baby boy, Ja Morant, who is now a successful NBA player. Besides Ja, the couple has one daughter, Taniya. Also, they are the grandparents of Kaari Jaidyn Morant.
Mr. and Mrs. Morant have been married for over decades and are living blissfully.
Ja Morant's father, Tee, may have racked up a considerable fortune. However, there are few details regarding his career earnings and net worth. However, it can be said that Morant lives a quality life.
Ja Morant is in a professional match. SOURCE: Instagram @jamorant Besides that, Tee's son, Ja, has amassed a massive amount of money from his professional basketball career. Considering his career earnings, it is believed that Ja enjoys a net worth of around $6 million. Currently, he has a deal of $39,619,840 with the Memphis Grizzlies. So, he receives an annual average salary of $9,904,960.
Likewise, Ja's salary for the current season is $12,119,440. As Ja is still playing professionally, we can say that his net value will increase in the coming years.
