Ja Morant playfully welcomed new teammate Zach Edey to the Grizzlies.
Shortly after the Grizzlies chosen the Purdue product with the No. 9 general decide within the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday, the star Memphis guard shared his response within the type of a film clip from “Rush Hour 3,” when Chris Tucker’s character meets the Kung-Fu Big.
Within the clip, which was shared on Morant’s Instagram Story, Tucker exclaims, “Whoa!” upon encountering the 7-foot-9 Solar Mingming, a former basketball participant.
Edey towers at 7-foot-4 whereas Morant stands at 6-foot-2.
Though the Edey choice was a shock to some — and even panned by others — Grizzlies normal supervisor Zach Kleiman lauded the workforce’s new addition and his physicality.
“We now have — from a measurement standpoint, from a physicality standpoint — that’s one thing that different groups are going to need to grapple with. We need to have appears to be like that we will throw on the market that give us the benefit. Allow them to work out the way to take care of us,” Kleiman mentioned after Wednesday’s first spherical.
The 22-year-old provides appreciable measurement to the Grizzlies’ roster, forming a powerful frontcourt alongside 6-foot-10 energy ahead Jared Jackson Jr.
sport towards UConn. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Regardless of issues concerning Edey’s protection and agility, his potential to dominate the paint makes him a key addition to the workforce.
He averaged 25. 2 factors and 12.2 rebounds in his senior season en path to a nationwide championship look.
The Boilermakers fell to the UConn Huskies within the nationwide title sport, 75-60.
For Edey, becoming a member of the Grizzlies is “a dream come true.”
“Memphis has such an incredible core, and I’m actually excited to get down there and work,” he mentioned in a press release issued by Purdue.
Morant, the second general decide within the 2019 NBA Draft, was restricted to 9 video games this season when he returned from a suspension after flashing a firearm in an Instagram Dwell. He underwent season-ending shoulder surgical procedure in January.
The Grizzlies completed the season at 27-55.
