Five years after nearly sending Kevin Love into early retirement with a missed poster that became NBA lore, Ja Morant channeled pure deja vu in his return from a right calf strain—launching himself over the veteran big man once again, only to clang the rim and spark an instant wave of hilarious flashbacks across social media.

In the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz, with 4:55 remaining, Morant exploded to the basket, soaring right at Love—who planted for the charge—just like in 2019. The ball caromed off the iron straight to Jock Landale for a splash three, but the real winner was the internet: fans erupted with side-by-side clips, memes of Love’s relieved face, and jokes about Ja’s eternal quest to finally land “the dunk that got away.”

This kind of audacious play is exactly what Morant has been known for, and despite coming back from injury, the guard seems unafraid of leaning into the contact and going hard at his opponents, something that has to be reassuring given his shooting struggles this year.

The two had very different nights tonight, though. Morant had an inefficient night, which is expected after a 10-game absence due to injury. He logged 21 points on 7-20 shooting with 10 assists, four rebounds and a steal.

Morant’s first bucket of the night came on an explosive drive where he grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball in transition, split the Jazz defenders in the paint, and finished a tough and-one layup through contact.

Moreover, in the first quarter, with the Grizzlies trailing 13-11, Morant turned the ball over near the Jazz’s rim. He immediately sprinted the full length of the court and delivered a clean, perfectly timed chasedown block on Utah’s Keyonte George at the rim.

Love, on the other hand, had his best game of the season. The 37-year-old recorded a season-high 20 points, with eight rebounds, an assist and a steal with four threes in just 20 minutes off the bench.

His scoring, along with Lauri Markkanen’s 26 and Keyonte George’s 39 led the Jazz to a 130-126 win, snapping a five-game losing streak against the Grizzlies.

Morant’s almost-dunk, however, stole the attention.

Ja Morant’s Miss Against Kevin Love Turns Into a Moment the Internet Can’t Let Go

As soon as the clip surfaced, fans were quick to point out that this exact situation had played out before.

“And this not the first time either 😭😭😭😭,” one fan said.

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Indeed, fans might remember that five years ago, in December 2019, rookie #2 pick Ja Morant faced off against then-Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, and at one point, drove right at Love, who tried to take a charge.

People might remember what happened next: an incredible-looking poster dunk attempt missed as Morant hit the rim with the ball, causing it to bounce out.

Others online turned the joke back onto Love, sarcastically suggesting that the veteran forward failed to learn his lesson the first time.

“Kevin learned nothing from the first attempt few years ago 🤣🤣,” one comment read.

After the first missed dunk on him, Love tweeted out on X, joking that Morant nearly “ended his professional career” with the attempt, and praised the rookie on his athleticism, calling him “special.”

The humor didn’t stop there. As the clip continued circulating, many fans pointed to Morant’s history of ‘almosts,’ with one post reading:

“The greatest dunker of all time if missed dunks counted,”

Morant might have some of the best missed dunks of any player in the modern era, including fiery attempts on Trey Murphy III, Draymond Green, and Anthony Davis, with three missed posters on LeBron James.

Some fans focused less on the dunk itself and more on the target that was hit. With Morant once again challenging Love, posts of the clip were filled with amused confusion.

“What he got against klove man😭,” one observer joked, treating the moment like a personal rivalry or goal.

Back after the first missed attempt, Love poked fun at Morant’s expense, posting a himself wearing a shirt that said, ‘Look what you did, you little je–.’ Maybe it served as his motive for tonight.

Finally, beneath all the laughter, there was still admiration. One fan cut through the jokes to echo a wider sentiment:

“Please get back to this Ja the city needs it.”

This kind of energetic, no-holds-barred play is what the team wishes for Morant, and even if his shots didn’t fall, the game remained close. As time went on, the willingness to try was enough to remind people why Morant still commands attention.