LAS VEGAS — Ja Morant is still adjusting to his trade from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers. After speaking to reporters for the first time since joining Portland, team personnel asked Morant to autograph a white Blazers jersey. He obliged but immediately noticed an error.
“Oh my God,” Morant exclaimed. “I signed with the No. 12!” His No. 12 jersey was one of the NBA’s bestsellers for much of his seven-year tenure in Memphis, and the familiar number has followed him through much of his career.
The room burst into laughter upon seeing Morant’s familiar signature and the old number placed next to his new No. 1. Morant switched to No. 1 after joining Portland, a change reflected on his game-day uniform since the trade.
The two-time All-Star said Saturday that the Blazers “had other plans” for No. 12, a remark that Morant acknowledged could be a reference to the franchise’s intentions for the number. His comment alluded to a possible LaMarcus Aldridge jersey retirement in the future.
Morant has long been associated with No. 12; he wore the number at Murray State and at Crestwood High School in South Carolina before it became his signature in the NBA. The autograph gaffe underscored the ongoing adjustment period for the guard as he begins his tenure in Portland.
