The NBA MVP race is heating up with each game. However, there are some shocking candidates that are making their names this season. One of them is Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies. The young guard has caught some serious attention as he keeps on improving every season. A former NBA champion spoke about the guard and said he has the potential to be a player like Michael Jordan.

Like Jordan, Ja has had a similar road in the league so far. Both athletes had impressive college careers. However, there was a player who became the center of attention. For Ja, it was Zion Williamson who became the number one pick. In the case of Michael, the great Hakeem Olajuwon was the number one overall pick in the 1984 draft.

However, both of them made an instant impact and kept on improving every season. This caused Kendrick Perkins to say Ja Morant could become a player similar to Michael Jordan.

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Ja Morant the next Michael Jordan?

Recently on an episode of First Take, Kendrick Perkins came in and spoke about Ja. The initial question revolved around a preference between Ja or Giannis in the coming decade. However, Perkins shook everyone and said what Morant has done so far is similar to Jordan. He later defended his argument on Twitter and said the Grizzlies guard has the potential to be a player like ‘Air Jordan’ himself.

Perkins said: “When you talk about his ceiling as far as his career is Jordanesque. And I’m going to tell you why. Because think about it, when Michael Jordan came into the league in 1984, no one expected him to pan out the way he did. Then when he came in with Bird and Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson, then all of a sudden he rose to the top as the number three pick. Ja Morant the number two pick, every year he is getting better, every year he is opening eyes, every year he is shocking the world. He is doing things, and he is winning.”

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While it seems a wild take at first, Jordan and Morant do seem to have a similar trajectory. Both players did not come in as the best players of their draft. However, they made an instant impact and made a name for themselves. With Jordan, he came in and became the leader on the Bulls, averaging over 28 points in his rookie year. On the other hand, Morant had a slow start but has picked things up every year.

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Their improvement every single year and drive to win every game is almost uncanny. It is definitely too early to deem Morant as the next Jordan. However, if he continues to improve the way he is and can manage to win along the road, an argument could be presented.

What do you think of this take by Kendrick Perkins? Let us know in the comments.