Ja Morant’s parents are Tee Morant and Jamie Morant. His dad, Tee, was once a barber and an NBA wannabe while his mom, Jamie, was a former basketball point guard during her high school days.
Ja Morant’s parents were college sweethearts who got married soon after leaving college. They are still happily married and now have 2 kids: a son, Ja Morant and, a daughter, Teniya Morant.
The Memphis Grizzlies point guard is fortunate to have two experienced parents in the basketball game. Ja Morant’s father, Tee, is a man below 50 but full of strength and agility with which he mentored Ja during his early days in the field of play. On the other hand, Jamie is a 48-year-old mother of two who has made immense contributions toward the success of her son’s career.
Ja Morant’s Mother, Jamie Morant, Was Born in South Carolina
- Age: 48 years old
- Birthday: 20th of December 1975
- Birthplace: Sumter town in South Carolina
- Birth Sign: Sagittarius
- Ethnicity: Afro-American
Jamie Morant, Ja Morant’s mother, was born just before the yuletide on the 20th of December 1975. Her birth place is recorded as Sumter town in South Carolina, and she spent her formative years in Appling, Georgia. The 48-year-old mother of two is an American by nationality, but her ethnicity is Afro-American.
Nothing has been said about Jamie’s mum, and information about her family background is sadly lacking. It is also unknown if she is an only child or grew up with siblings. Scrutiny of Jamie’s academic history indicates that the South Carolina native achieved her high school education in New York, where she passed through Harlem High School.
Her days in high school were quite eventful as Jamie was a two sports stand-out. She was the point guard for her school’s basketball team, and her quest to try out another sport led the Afro-Americans to choose softball. After graduating from Harlem High School, the female point guard desired to be more academically accomplished.
As a result, Jamie chose Claflin College to study for her first degree in biology. The talented point guard continued with her sports activities in college, playing both basketball and softball.
Jamie is Ja Morant’s Huge Fan
According to Jamie, she is Ja Morant’s biggest supporter. Ja is a lefty like his mama, who makes time to follow him to the gym to assist the point guard in working on his shooting stroke. She takes credit for teaching the NBA player many mental games, including the best way to deal with people.
On his part, Ja compliments the encouragement he receives from his mum and all the sacrifices she made toward the success of his basketball career. Mother and son are super close. Jamie is Ja’s confidant, as the young point guard practically tells her everything.
During his younger days, the blossoming basketball star, who was still training in their backyard, would tell his mother about competing against more mature opponents. An enthusiastic Jamie was proud to hear her son say, “I’m not worried about the big kids.”
Jaimie would always boost their son’s confidence by reminding Ja that “he is beneath no one.” This phrase has played a huge part in propelling the point guard in his career so much that he has it tattooed on his arm.
Who is Ja Morant’s Father
- Birthplace: America
- Ethnicity: Afro-American
- Mother: Linda’ Mama Lin’ Smalley
The father of the young basketball player is known as Tee Morant. Unlike his wife, his date of birth has never been mentioned publicly. However, he is said to be between 40 and 50 years of age. Tee’s birth details are unknown, but it is glaring that the man is an African American like his wife, Jamie.
Family background for Ja Morant’s father has been elusive to the media but going by the titbits we could sieve from kept records, Tee’s mother goes by the name, Linda’ Mama Lin’ Smalley. Mama Lin supports her son and equally throws her weight behind Ja, pushing the youngster to always follow God’s plan.
Tee went to high school in Dalzell; he joined Hillcrest High and spent some memorable days playing basketball. While playing at Hillcrest, Tee became a teammate with Ray Allen, who became a renowned player with the National Basketball Association. Ja Morant’s dad was mentored by Dwayne Edwards in high school, the same coach who mentored Ja during his early days in the sports.
With his high school education done and dusted, Tee proceeded to Claflin University in Orangeburg, North Carolina, where he lined up for the institution’s Panthers basketball team.
Tee Morant Earns A Living as a Barber
After his university education, Ja Morant’s dad had to take the hard decision of earning a living as a barber. He sincerely wanted to follow a career path in sports as a basketball player. Thus, he went to join one of the free agency camps for the National Basketball Association. However, his height worked against him as all the camps wanted taller players.
He also played semi-professional briefly and was considering the option of going overseas to play pro basketball, but the turn of events put an end to his dream. It happened that his love interest, Jamie became pregnant, and being a responsible adult, Tee opted to abandon his long-held dreams and stay with the mother of his child.
Faced with that kind of situation, there weren’t many career choices for the basketball hopeful to follow, and at the end of the day, he found himself working in a barber’s shop. Tee is also a self-acclaimed basketball train. He has mentored Ja into becoming a point guard to reckon with and has taken up the same responsibility with his daughter.
The South Carolina barber has extended his mentorship outside the family. The Tee Morant Skills & Agility Training Camp is a development program he owns and runs back in Sumter.
Ja Morant’s Parents’ Marriage Has Lasted Decades
Tee and Jamie’s marriage is reported to have endured for many years. However, since neither Tee nor Jamie Morant is a mainstream celebrity, details about their love life have continued to elude the media. Thus, there isn’t much to go by on their wedding – the date, venue, and type of nuptial they had are unknown.
However, it is obvious that they started dating way back in school. This conclusion was drawn from the fact that Jamie was already expecting their first child a short while after Tee graduated from the university. Again, the age of their first child, Ja Morant, who is already well into his twenties, is another indication that the duo’s relationship has endured for more than twenty years and is still counting.
Tee Morant Has A Good Relationship with His Wife
Tee is a one-woman man, and indications from his love life show that he loves the mother of his children. Many men would prefer to pursue a glamorous career in the NBA but not Tee, who chose love and family above career. Making ends meet as a mere barber was difficult, but their love for each other kept them glued together for decades.
Again, Ja Morant’s dad has demonstrated that he is the kind of man that would always come to the defense of his spouse. A good instance happened at a basketball game between the Utah Jazz and the Grizzlies basketball teams (the 2021 playoff series), where his family came under attack by three Utah Jazz fans who hurled racist insults at them.
Tee, who likened the incident to blatant heckling, saw to it that the guys did not go unpunished for their insolence. After being evicted from the arena and banned for life, Ryan Smith (the owner of Jazz) offered Tee and his household free courtside seats, lodging, and car services for Game 5.
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Describing Ray Smith’s gesture as nice, Tee spoke up for his wife, who, according to him, could not handle attending the game. Jamie’s anxiety level couldn’t take it, he said.
When Did Ja Morant’s Parents Have Him?
Tee and Jamie gave birth to their first child, Ja Morant, on the 10th of August 1999, while residing in Dalzell, South Carolina. With his birth name as Temetrius Jamel Morant, Ja has played professional basketball as a point guard with the Memphis Grizzlies Basketball Team of the National Basketball Association.
Ja isn’t the only child of Tee and Jamie as the NBA player soon became a brother to Teniya Morant, the couple’s only daughter. Teniya’s birth details are yet to be disclosed, making it hard to know her age and other personal stuff. However, it is common knowledge that Ja Morant’s baby sister is also keen on basketball.
Teniya spent her formative years practicing the game in the backyard alongside her big brother. From what is obvious, Teniya appears interested in going professional as the youngster has already played for Hillcrest Middle School in Dalzell. Ja’s younger sister is now involved with varsity basketball, playing for Houston High School.
Ja Morant’s Dad Was His First Coach
Ja Morant was just a little boy when Tee started training him in basketball, and with two athletic parents, it came as no surprise that the sport came naturally to him. Father and son leveraged their backyard for the training sessions; at a point, Tee purchased tractor tires to enable Ja to practice basketball jumping but with a soft landing.
Even after he got to the high school level, where he was privileged to be coached by his dad’s former coach, Dwayne Edwards, the blossoming player will still go home to get additional training with Tee. According to Edwards, Ja has some great work ethics that set him apart from others.
Even when his chances of making it to the NBA seemed improbable, the young basketball player would continue practicing. His resilient spirit was all thanks to Tee, who motivated his son by telling Ja that “cream would always rise to the top.” We must also mention that Tee was pretty harsh to Ja Morant during training times.
He used his tough love to prepare the youngster for the future and, at the same time, put him under pressure to be better. With his defensive prowess, Tee molded Ja into a formidable attacking point guard, leading Ja to win NBA Rookie of the Year during his outing as a professional.
According to the young point guard, his dad greeted him with the message “Good job, you still suck” after he won Rookie of the Year in NBA. Morant, who said he loves negative energy as it motivates him, called his dad “my first hater.” He said Tee wouldn’t react differently if he were to win the N; hehe would be like, “You still suck, but congrats.”
After he grew taller and more athletic, Ja Morant turned the tables on his dad, who used to dominate him. Ja said Tee ran from the smoke as he would never be able to play him 1-on-1 again. Even at that, Ja would still seek out Tee for advice whenever he encounters problems in a game and has been greatly appreciative of his parents’ help.
The youngster has displayed his appreciation by gifting Tee and Jamie with cars. Tee has also taken his young daughter, Teniya, under his wi. According to the father of two, his little girl is easier to train than her big brother.
Tee has a Solid Relationship With His Children
That Tee is Ja Morant’s first hater is not an indication that father and son have a strained relationship. On the contrary, Tee is Ja’s buddy in his toughest times. When they are alone after a loss, the young point guard will seek his father’s superior wisdom in finding out what he did wrong in the field of play.
Without Tee inculcating that killing mindset in Ja, he wouldn’t have been able to make it to the NBA, a fact that the young man has already acknowledged by crediting him with his success. All the hate he received from Tee was turned into a drive, and from what is obvious, it will take him very far in his career.
We must also acknowledge the role Tee played when Ja Morant couldn’t get a team to recruit him despite posting notable statistics. The young man was distraught and had to lean on his parents’ strength and also drew inspiration from his grandma, Mama Lin.
Ja Morant’s Dad Has Received Accolades For The Way He Brought Up Ja
Tee Morant is one African-American dad who has shown tremendous support to the careers of his children, especially his son, Ja Morant: this has earned him accolades. He has been described as an omnipresent source of love and support for Ja during games and has always been handy to handle the point guard’s questions.
Tee’s parenting skills so impressed American pro basketball player Donovan Mitchell Jr. who gave him accolades for bringing up Ja to be an impressive young man. According to Donovan, the smile that appears on the youngster’s face on always seeing his papa rooting for him is a holistic moment for any kid.
Donovan, who described the experience as something truly special labeled Tee – “an Afro-American dad who has worked extremely hard in bringing his Afro-American son through life.” Besides, Tee was able to get Ja into the game where he (Tee) was overlooked and underrated.
Tee has always been exuberant in supporting his son and heckling opponents, and according to Ja, his dad is likely to get tossed out for talking too much. Going on about Tee, Ja said he couldn’t stop talking, and he bets that the members of the other teams, including the refs, are tired of his old man.
Ja Morant’s Parents Are Already Grandparents
Though none of their children have gotten married, Tee and Jamie are already enjoying the pecks of being grandparents. While the NBA point guard was dating KK Dixon, he sired a daughter with the lady. The little girl, Kaari Jaidyn Morant, is a great source of joy to her grandparents, who never miss an opportunity to dote on her.
Quick Facts About Ja Morant’s Parents:
- Who is Ja Morant’s mother? Ja Morant’s mother’s name is Jamie Morant.
- Who is Tee Morant? Tee Morant is the father of Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies star and reigning MIP.
- Where was Jamie Morant born? Jamie Morant was born in Sumter Town, South Carolina.
- What is Jamie Morant’s age? Jamie Morant was born on December 20, 1975, and is 48 years old.
- What is Jamie Morant’s ethnicity? Jamie Morant is of Afro-American ethnicity.
- What was Jamie Morant’s high school sport? Jamie Morant played basketball in the position of a point guard in high school. She also played softball in college.
- Does Ja Morant have a good relationship with his mother? Ja Morant has a close relationship with his mother and has referred to her as his best friend.
- What is Teniya Morant’s relation to Ja Morant? Teniya Morant is Ja Morant’s younger sister.
- Is Jamie Morant still married to Tee Morant? Yes, Jamie Morant is still married to Tee Morant.
- How many children does Jamie Morant have with her husband, Tee? Jamie Morant has two children, Ja and Teniya Morant.
- Does Jamie Morant work outside of taking care of her family? Jamie Morant’s occupation is unknown, but she is known for taking care of her family and instilling family values in her children.
- How did Tee Morant support Ja Morant’s basketball career? Tee Morant built a DIY concrete basketball court for Ja Morant to practice on and has been a source of support throughout his basketball career.
- What was Tee Morant’s basketball occupation? Tee Morant played basketball in his prime, alongside NBA legend Ray Allen. However, when he found out about Jamie Morant’s pregnancy with Ja, he gave up his basketball occupation and became a barber instead.
- Does Ja Morant have a good relationship with Tee Morant? Ja Morant has spoken about his father in interviews and has praised him for his support and the sacrifices he made for the family.
