Emoni Bates mentions Ja Morant, Miles Bridges, Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell and Carmelo Anthony as vets taking him under their wing.
Once ranked among the top prospects of his draft class, Emoni Bates saw his stock fall after a firearm incident. In 2022, he was charged with two felonies for carrying a concealed weapon and altering marks on an ID.
Because of his off-the-court issues, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Emoni Bates in the second round of the NBA draft. While competing in Summer League, he opened up on how he wanted to go to the Memphis Grizzlies because he looks up to Ja Morant.
“He’s like a little brother”confirmed Ja Morant. “The situation with Emoni is different [de celle que j’ai avec d’autres jeunes joueurs]. We have a deeper relationship. Anything I can do to help her, I will. I know I will see him again soon in the League. I will just continue to be there for him.”
While NBA fans are taking the chance to poke fun at Emoni Bates for his relationship with Ja Morant, he’s managed to impress on the basketball court. Through his first handful of Summer League games, the young guard is showing why he was once among the most-hyped prospects in his class.
Right now, Bates is posting averages of 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. He’s also coming off a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies where he scored 21 points on just 11 shots.
“Clearly, that’s what interested me” he admitted about the idea of being drafted by the Grizzlies, before discussing this friendship with Morant. “He hears from me here and there. He’s the big brother. He always checks in on me. I’m pretty sure he’ll message me when I get to the hotel. I try to talk to him as much as possible”.
18 months ago, when he was in college, Bates had already mentioned this role of big brother. This was long before Morant’s problems with guns, and his two suspensions, and the Grizzlies point guard had confirmed that their friendship ran deep.
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