Nov 25, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

NBA Fans React to Ja Morant All-Star News

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Joey Linn | Last updated Jan 2, 2025 7:24 PM ET

The NBA has released its first return of All-Star game votes, and superstar bigs Nikola Jokic (West) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (East) are leading the way in their respective conferences. As is the case every year, fans have been reacting strongly to the results shared by the NBA.

Per the NBA, fans account for 50 percent of the vote.

Via NBA PR: “Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their respective conferences in the first fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T. Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. NBA players and a media panel account for 25% each.”

Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their respective conferences in the first fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.

Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. NBA players and a media panel account for 25% each.

Next fan update: 1/9. pic.twitter.com/OoIIa3S3fn
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 2, 2025

One player who stood out to fans on this first voting return was Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. Ranked seventh among Western Conference guards with 213,780 votes, Morant trails James Harden, Anthony Edwards, Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, and Shia Gilgeous-Alexander.

"Ja only at number 7," one surprised fan wrote on X.

"Ja was always going to suffer from a very loaded Western Conference," another fan posted. "Just so many guards putting up monster stat lines night in night out. Being an All-Star is going to mean staying on the court and putting up video game numbers."

"LaMelo Ball has more all star votes than Steph Curry, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic," a fan noted. "He has more votes than Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant COMBINED."

"It’s extremely difficult to keep up with fan voting as a small market team, but we need to step up," a Grizzlies fan wrote. "Ja and especially JJJ deserve to be all stars let’s make our votes count for this next return!"