Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was named to the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Second Team, the NBA announced today. This marks the first career All-NBA selection for Morant, who becomes the third player in franchise history to receive All-NBA honors (Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph).
Morant (6-2 ½, 174) averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.16 steals in 33.1 minutes in 57 appearances while shooting 49.3% from the field, 34.4% from 3-point range and 76.1% from the free throw line, helping the Grizzlies post the second-best record in the NBA during the regular season, tie their 2012-13 franchise record for winning percentage (.683) and capture the Southwest Division championship.
In his third NBA season, Morant was named the 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player after setting career highs for scoring average, rebounds per game, steals per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Only four other players in NBA history have recorded higher averages for points, rebounds and assists and field goal percentage in a single season than Morant during the 2021-22 campaign: Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
The 22-year-old was voted by the fans as a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his first All-Star appearance, and he joined Marc Gasol (2015) as the only players in franchise history to start an All-Star Game. Morant also became the first player in club history to win consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week Awards, earning the first two weekly honors of his NBA career on Jan. 3 and Jan. 10 in the midst of a franchise-record 11-game winning streak (Dec. 26-Jan. 13).
Morant registered a franchise-record six games with at least 40 points, including a single-game club-record and career-high 52 points on Feb. 28 vs. San Antonio. He also led all players with 16.6 points in the paint per game, becoming the first guard to pace the NBA in the category since data was first recorded in the 1996-97 season.
Morant helped guide the second-youngest roster in the league to its second consecutive NBA Playoffs appearance and the Grizzlies’ first trip to the Western Conference Semifinals since 2015. He averaged 27.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 37.6 minutes in nine postseason games.
Selected by Memphis with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft following his sophomore year at Murray State, Morant was named the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year and was selected to the 2019-20 All-Rookie First Team.
The All-NBA Teams were chosen by an international panel of media members. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly.
The 2021-22 All-NBA First Team consists of Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
The other members of the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team are Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
The 2021-22 All-NBA Third Team consists of Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James, Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.