Ja Morant trivia: Think you know everything about the Memphis Grizzlies star?

Memphis, enjoy it while you can, because living here as Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies emerge as not just one of the best teams in the NBA but as arguably "the Greatest Show on Earth" (as the TV announcers have said more than once) is a delight.

Sometimes, it seems as if the entire world is marveling over Ja's latest highlight-reel dunk, block, pass or layup. At least it seems that way if your radio dial or television channel or social media site is tuned to a source that is sympathetic to the Grizzlies and their remarkable season.

With that in mind, we felt it was time to conjure another of our Memphis trivia quizzes. We ran seven last year, on a variety of topics, but for this 2022 revival of the format we decided to get specific and focus on Ja Morant himself, who arguably has brought more positive attention to Memphis than anyone since Elvis or Al Green.

Despite the topic, this is a general interest quiz, not a sports quiz. The emphasis isn't entirely on NBA statistics and basketball history. These 22 questions (since this is 2022) are intended to be more fun than challenging or educational. To borrow the disclaimer on the packaging that accompanies a Magic 8 Ball, this is "to be used for entertainment purposes only."

So let's blow the whistle, and begin.

THE QUESTIONS

1. What is Ja Morant's full name?

a) Jason LeBron Morant.

b) Temetrius Jamel Morant.

b) James Tiberius Kirk Morant.

d) Jaren Jackson Morant.

2. Ja was born in Dalzell, South Carolina. What other basketball great spent time as a youth in Dalzell?

a) Hall of Famer Ray Allen, who also starred in Spike Lee's "He Got Game."

b) Larry Kenon, a Memphis State University Tiger who later played with five NBA teams.

c) 5-foot-6 Spud Webb.

d) The late Meadowlark Lemon, for 22 years the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters.

3. Which of these is not among Ja Morant's 17 (more or less) tattoos:

a) ) A Valentine's-style heart, colored orange and stylized to resemble a basketball.

b) The number 803 (the South Carolina area code of his youth).

c) The motivational slogan "Train To Go," a summary of his belief that when you train hard, you're ready to go, whatever the challenge.

d) A photorealist portrait of Pete Pranica.

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4. After a Feb. 2 victory in New York, Ja Morant delivered an epic summation of the Grizzlies' refusal to be intimidated by their opponents. "Ain't no running in the M," he said. "We climb up the chimney." He concluded:

a) "We like it where it's hot."

b) "And we bring the fire."

c) "It's just us and Santa Claus."

d) "We ain't ducking no smoke."

5. Before enrolling at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, Ja played hoops for Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. The Murray State team is known as "the Racers." What is the school nickname at Crestwood?

a) The Palmettos.

b) The Demons.

c) The Chickadees.

d) The Knights.

6. On Oct. 23, 2019, Ja Morant made his NBA debut with the Grizzlies, in a loss to the Miami Heat. His stat line for the game consists of a steal, a block, four assists, four rebounds and ____ points.

a) four

b) zero

c) 14

d) 24

7. Through this year's All-Star break, Ja Morant has had four triple-doubles as a Grizzly. One former Grizzly remains ahead of him, with five. Who is it?

a) Marc Gasol.

b) Lorenzen Wright.

c) Shane Battier.

d) Pau Gasol.

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8. RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks is the answer. What is the question?

a) Who took Ja Morant on his first visit to the top of the Empire State Building?

b) Who answered "Practice" when Ja Morant asked: "How do I get to Madison Square Garden?"

c) Who was the third pick in the 2019 NBA draft, after Zion Williamson and Ja Morant?

d) Who told Ja Morant: "That's not a cat, it's a rat."

9. Who was the last Memphis Grizzly to wear No. 12 before Ja Morant?

a) Yuta Watanabe.

b) Tyreke Evans.

c) Nick Calathes.

d) Jake Tsakalidis.

10. At a Dec. 2 postgame press conference, Ja Morant sat at a table with teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. and said: "Make sure y'all hear me loud and clear. This man sitting to the left of me is..."

a) "...People magazine's next Sexiest Man Alive."

b) "...blocking more shots than an anti-vaxxer."

c) "...more fun than a bucket of tadpoles, as Elly May Clampett said about Sonny Drysdale."

d) "...the Defensive Player of the Year."

11. In January, Ja took exception to remarks on Twitter by a person who wrote that Morant "rates himself way to [sic] highly and talks way wayyy too much..." Morant tweeted back "i ain't come in the league to be liked," and concluded:

a) "haters gonna hate"

b) "Thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows."

c) "you nattering nabob of negativity"

d) "you goofy ash dawg"

12. What happened during the May 26, 2021, playoff game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz?

a) Ja Morant picked up two technical fouls and was ejected from the game.

b) Ja Morant scored 47 points, which was not just his career high (to date) but a Grizzlies' single-game scoring record.

c) Ja Morant shocked the crowd and sent social media into a frenzy with a chase-down two-handed block/steal.

d) Ja Morant had no rebounds.

13. Answering questions online via Twitter in 2019, Ja Morant revealed several "favorites." All these answers are quotes from Ja, except one, which I made up. Which one?

a) "My favorite TV show, growing up, is 'Martin.' Still my favorite show. Really the only show I watched."

b) "My favorite music artist is Lil Baby."

c) "Chick-fil-A definitely got the best chicken nuggets."

d) "The yellow-headed water monitor is my favorite species of lizard. Always has been."

14. Who is Ja Raffe?

a) The latest rapper signed to the Hypnotize Minds record label.

b) Ja Morant's imaginary childhood friend.

c) A male reticulated giraffe, born Nov. 10 at the Memphis Zoo.

d) Grizz's Rastafarian bear mascot cousin.

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15. On the night of Jan. 11, Ja Morant added another highlight to his legend when he chose to stare down rather than high-five a little kid in a Golden State Warriors jersey who had his hand outstretched near courtside at FedExForum. Which of these explanations did Morant not offer at a postgame press conference:

a) "He was disrespectful, with that jersey on."

b) "Take that jersey off and then dap me up."

c) "He probably had a poisoned spike hidden in that little hand."

d) "We in Memphis."

16. Who is Kaari Jaidyn Morant?

a) Ja Morant's grandmother.

b) Ja Morant's mother.

c) Ja Morant's sister.

d) Ja Morant's daughter.

17. Although a less than towering 6-3, Ja Morant is averaging close to 16 points in the paint per game, and possibly could be the league leader in the category by the end of the season. That's the highest points-in-the-paint average for a guard in:

a) Five years.

b) Ten years.

c) Fifteen years.

d) History (i.e., since the NBA began tracking the statistic, 25 years ago).

18. Released in November, Ja Morant's first Nike commercial, built around the tagline "Says Who?," was shot last year in Memphis. Which of these people does not appear in the ad?

a) Blues artist Blind Mississippi Morris.

b) Moneybagg Yo, a Memphis rapper.

c) Ja's father, Tee Morant.

d) Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

19. One of these quotes about Ja Morant is fake news, made up by me. Which one?

a) Shaquille O'Neal: “He reminds me of a young Kobe Bryant.”

b) LeBron James: "He got rockets in his calf muscles."

c) Carmelo Anthony: "He is the future of the NBA."

d) Muggsy Bogues: "He's kind of short, isn't he?"

20. Last year, the streaming service Crackle released a six-episode documentary series that followed Ja Morant, his parents and other family members during Ja's first year with the Grizzlies. Described by Crackle as a "visceral, intimate and all-access coming of age story," the series was titled:

a) "Superstar."

b) "Promiseland."

c) "Hoop Dreams 2021."

d) "Rookie."

21. In December, The Commercial Appeal published a Christmas carol rewrite titled "The 12 Days of Memphis." According to the lyrics, "On the first day of Memphis my true love gave to me....

a) ... a Ja Morant jer-er-er-sey."

b) ... Ja Morant, plus Xavier Sneed."

c) ... a Ja Morant Funko Pop or three."

d) ...Ja Morant, with a healthy knee."

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22. "The NBA's Electrifying New Superhero" was the headline of a much-shared Jan. 28 column by Jack Hamilton that appeared in the online culture-and-politics magazine Slate. The secondary headline was: "Ja Morant’s fearless, astonishing play has made the surging Memphis Grizzlies must-see TV." Which of the following phrases did not appear in the column?

a) "Morant might already be the league’s most electrifying attraction on a night-to-night basis, the perfect basketball player for yet another COVID winter that seems to only grow more monotonous."

b) "Morant has brought verticality back to the position in breathtaking ways. This is reflected in the type of teeth-rattling, physics-defying dunks that have been a calling-card of Morant’s since college, but also in lofty, levitating game-winners and layups that seem like something out of a wuxia film."

c) "Not since Elvis Presley has a transplant to Memphis similarly jolted the city, the nation and perhaps even the world."

d) "Ja Morant and his teammates are bringing a world-class basketball squad to a world-class city, and no one deserves each other more."

THE ANSWERS

1. B.

2. A.

3. D. (Pranica is the play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Southeast telecasts of Grizzlies games.)

4. D.

5. D.

6. C.

7. A.

8. C.

9. A. (Watanabe's No. 12 Grizzlies jersey was a top-seller in his home nation of Japan, but he gave Morant his blessing to wear 12, which had been Ja's jersey number in high school and college.)

10. D.

11. D.

12. B. (Note: Morant's high-school career high also is 47 points, scored in a game against crosstown rival Sumter High. Second note: The other choices also represent moments in Ja's NBA history, but not during that game.)

13. D.

14. C.

15. C.

16. D. (Born Aug. 7, 2019.)

17. D.

18. D.

19. D.

20. B.

21. D.

22. C. (Note: "Wuxia" films are martial arts action epics, typically produced in Hong Kong, that are notable for high-flying theatrics and heroics.)

Grade assessment: All 22 correct: Hall of Famer. 21-15: All-Star. 14-10: Journeyman. 9-5: Bench warmer. 4-1: Memphis Hustle bench warmer. Zero: Hasheem Thabeet.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ja Morant trivia quiz: 22 questions about Memphis Grizzlies star