Morant 'not trying to dunk at all' to avoid injuries

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is looking to avoid dunking to remain healthy throughout the season.

"I'm not trying to dunk at all," Morant said after Tuesday's 121-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "Y'all think I'm lying. I'm dead serious."

Morant added: "Sometimes, I get knocked out the air and (a foul) don't get called, and now I'm out longer than what I'm supposed to be. Sometimes, the foul might get called; I still hit the floor, but after the game you might feel that little fall. So, I just pick and choose, man. Hey, two points is two points. I get it done. That's all that matters."

Mavericks fans booed Morant after he went up for a safe, two-handed dunk on a fast break instead of something flashier. The Grizzlies guard recorded 31 points and four assists in the defeat.

"Hey, I'm fine with that. Continue to boo me," Morant said. "I got two points. It was still a dunk. It was just not the dunk they wanted to see. But if they boo me off a little rim-grazer, I'm fine with that."

Morant has only four dunks over 12 games this season. He averaged 52 slams across his first four campaigns, including 58 in 2021-22.

The 25-year-old also shot down participating in the Slam Dunk contest, saying he's focused on playing with the team and getting healthy.

Morant missed eight games in November due to hip and pelvis injuries sustained when he fell while attempting an alley-oop against the Los Angeles Lakers.

He's averaging 22 points and 8.6 assists for the fourth-placed Grizzlies this campaign.