The Memphis Grizzlies will start the 2025-26 NBA season with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ja Morant had a great game, adding 35 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 128-122 victory.
For the New Orleans Pelicans, it was Zion Williamson, who led the team in scoring with 27 points.
Another player who got fans talking was rookie Jeremiah Fears, who finished his debut with 17 points and two assists.
The 2025-26 NBA season will be Morant’s seventh year in the league. Over the years, Ja has been involved in numerous controversies.
But the two-time NBA All-Star is now a veteran. As a result, the talented guard gave Fiers a moment of welcome to the NBA at the end of the opening night matchup.
In the final seconds of the game, Morant forced Fiers to chase and run out the clock.
This shows how much Morant has improved his basketball IQ throughout his career, and the NOLA rookie has a lot to learn.
If Morant and Fiers’ final moment had happened a few seasons earlier, the Grizzlies star might have called out the Pelicans rookie.
In fact, as Matt Infield revealed, Morant had nothing but praise for Fiers after the game.
“I told him to stay aggressive. Before, he was just coming in and just dribbling. I called it robotic, but towards the end he started to be a little more aggressive.
“…I know he has a lot of talent. I’ve watched the highlights of his past college seasons and he’s a great player,” Morant said.
Simply put, Morant admired Fiers’ mentality of coming at him in the final seconds of the game, but was careful not to let the rookie get the better of him.