Basketball fans live for the "Welcome to the NBA" moment. You know the one. A grizzled vet or a fearless superstar decides to test the new guy. Usually, the new guy is a 7-foot titan like Victor Wembanyama, the French phenom who seems built in a lab to ruin highlight reels.
But then there's Ja Morant.
If you've followed the Memphis Grizzlies at all, you know Ja doesn't care about your wingspan. He doesn't care if you're the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. He's going to jump. And honestly? He’s probably going to try to put you on a poster. The saga of ja morant dunking on wembanyama isn't just one play; it's a recurring theme in a rivalry that’s basically become appointment television.
The Night the Highlight Went Viral (Twice)
The first real "it happened" moment went down on January 2, 2024. This wasn't some preseason exhibition. It was a gritty Tuesday night at FedExForum. The Grizzlies were clawing their way through a weird season, and the Spurs were—well, they were the Spurs, trying to figure out how to win with a rookie who looks like a skyscraper.
With about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, Ja saw his opening. He drove right, cut back toward the middle, and there was Victor.
Most players see Wemby and take a floater. Ja? He took flight.
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He didn't just score; he hammered it home right over the outstretched arms of the 7-foot-4 rookie. The crowd went absolutely nuclear. Morant celebrated with a head-shake that basically said, "He’s just another guy at the rim." Memphis won that game 106-98, but the scoreboard felt like an afterthought compared to the clip that was already racking up millions of views on X.
Wait, Did It Actually Count?
Fast forward to January 15, 2025. It happened again. Or... sort of.
This is where the internet gets into fights. In a 129-115 Grizzlies win, Ja Morant once again found himself staring down Wembanyama in the paint. He soared. He delivered a thunderous, one-handed slam that looked even more vicious than the first one.
There was just one problem.
A whistle had blown for a foul on Stephon Castle before Ja even left the floor. Technically, in the eyes of the NBA box score, it never happened. But if you ask anyone in San Antonio or Memphis that night, they'll tell you the same thing: the highlight still counts in the streets. Richard Jefferson even joked on NBA Countdown that we should just ignore the whistle because the dunk was too good to erase.
Breaking Down the "Wemby Wall"
What makes ja morant dunking on wembanyama such a big deal? It’s the physics. Victor Wembanyama isn't just tall; he's a defensive anomaly. By the time the 2025 season rolled around, he was leading the league in blocks, swatting away shots that other centers couldn't even reach.
In that same January 2025 game where Ja had the "non-dunk" highlight, Wemby actually finished with 8 blocks. Eight!
He is a deterrent. A ghost in the paint. Most guards have a physical reaction when they see him—they shorten their stride, they look for the kick-out pass. Morant does the opposite. He uses his speed to get under Wemby's center of gravity before the big man can fully load his jump.
Why Ja Doesn't Give a Pass
After the game, Ja was asked about the dunk and the matchup. His response was peak Morant. He basically told reporters that Wemby doesn't get a "pass" just because he's tall.
"It was another person at the rim. I dunked on plenty people, bro. He don't get no pass either. If you at the rim, I'm going to try you if it's that situation. It's me."
That’s the nuance of this "rivalry." It isn't personal, but it is competitive. Wembanyama, for his part, has been incredibly respectful. He called Ja a "very small, very fast" player who is hard to catch. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath setup, except David has a 40-inch vertical and a massive chip on his shoulder.
Misconceptions About the Matchup
There’s a lot of noise on social media every time these two meet. Some fans claim Ja "exposed" Wemby. Others point to Wembanyama’s block numbers as proof that Ja is just lucky.
The truth is somewhere in the middle.
- Wemby isn't getting "owned": Even in games where Ja gets his highlights, Wembanyama often alters ten other shots. In their January 2024 meeting, Victor still had 20 points and 4 blocks.
- Ja isn't "scared": There was a narrative during Morant's time away from the court that the league had passed him by or that the new "long" defenders would shut him down. The dunks on Wembanyama proved that athleticism still trumps height if you have the guts to use it.
- The "Non-Dunk" still matters: In terms of psychology, that whistle-blown dunk in 2025 shifted the energy of the game. It reminded the Spurs that the paint wasn't a safe zone just because Victor was standing in it.
What This Means for the NBA Future
We are witnessing the start of a decade-long battle. The Grizzlies and Spurs are both young. They both have icons at the center of their franchises.
When you see ja morant dunking on wembanyama, you aren't just seeing a play; you're seeing a clash of styles. It’s the old-school, high-flying athleticism of a 6-foot-2 guard against the new-school, "alien" length of a 7-foot-4 unicorn.
Honestly, the league needs this. We need stars who aren't afraid to fail. For every time Ja dunks on Wemby, there’s a chance he gets swatted into the third row. That’s what makes the drive to the basket so tense. You don't know which way it’s going to go until the ball hits the nylon—or the floor.
How to Watch the Next Matchup
If you want to catch the next installment of this saga, you’ve got to keep an eye on the Western Conference standings. These games are frequently flexed into national TV spots because, frankly, nobody wants to miss the chance to see Ja try it again.
- Check the Schedule: Look for Spurs vs. Grizzlies matchups specifically at FedExForum. The energy in Memphis gives Ja that extra gear.
- Watch the Warmups: Sometimes the mind games start early. Watch how they interact during pre-game shootarounds.
- Don't Blink in the 4th: Most of these highlights happen late in the game when tired legs make Wemby a split-second slower and Ja's desperation makes him a foot higher.
The next time you see Ja Morant heading toward the rim with Victor Wembanyama waiting, don't look at the score. Look at the feet. Look at the timing. You’re about to see something that shouldn’t be physically possible.
To stay ahead of the next viral moment, you should set alerts for Grizzlies game-day rosters and follow real-time shot charts. Watching the defensive positioning of Wembanyama in the first half usually tells you everything you need to know about whether Morant will find the lane for another poster attempt in the second.