Ja Morant looked depleted after Florida State bounced Murray State from the 2019 NCAA Tournament on Sunday. In the fourth quarter, Morant threw a towel over his head while his teammates and coaches consoled him — his 28 points, five rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes weren’t enough.
Still, even in a moment of pain, the guard found a way to bring joy to another. He returned to the court after the game with a signed pair of shoes to gift to a young fan. Here’s a look at that moment, via CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.
Morant addressed reporters in the locker room after the game, and said he hadn’t made his decision on whether he’d enter the 2019 NBA Draft on the heels of his stellar performance in the tournament. But he did address the moment he experienced on the bench when his coaches pulled him from the losing effort. From ESPN:
“I would say I was just hurt — not being able to take the floor with these guys for the rest of the season, for another game, or possibly two, three, four,” Morant said. “But it’s been a great season. I really was just thinking back on what all we have accomplished this year, and I’d say I was more hurt not being able to play with these guys for the remainder of the season.”
The sting should fade, and if he choses to enter the NBA, he’ll come to appreciate what his tournament performance did to boost his draft stock as he should enter the NBA draft as one of his class’ best players.
