\n<\/p>\n
Welcome to the dark.<\/em><\/p>\n It was a phrase adopted by Ja Morant, after Memphis Grizzlies assistant Blake Ahern introduced him to it.\u00a0The saying came from \u201cWin in the Dark,\u201d a book by Joshua Medcalf and Lucas Jadin that conveys a powerful message:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone wants their moment in the spotlight. But you don\u2019t shine under the bright lights. The bright lights only reveal your work in the dark.”<\/em><\/p>\n In the context of Morant, it means that his time spent working out this summer when nobody was watching\u00a0\u2014 the proverbial dark\u00a0\u2014\u00a0has helped thrust him from rising star to\u00a0 the upper crust of the game’s top players, halfway through his third season in the NBA.\u00a0<\/p>\n With each highlight reel dunk, block and win, the light has gotten brighter. Morant\u00a0has won back-to-back Western Conference Player of the Week awards,\u00a0and he’s\u00a0leading the Grizzlies (28-14) through a franchise record nine-game winning streak.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a special talent,\u201d San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. \u201cHe gets to the rim as easy as anybody I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re talking about one of the best players in this league, period,\u201d Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach David Fizdale said. \u201cThe guy is a superstar. I don\u2019t see anybody that\u2019s had a real true answer for the guy.\u201d<\/p>\n Morant is averaging 24.7 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7\u00a0rebounds this season, with the points, rebounds and steals (1.4) easily career highs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stats alone don’t make a player a superstar.\u00a0An All-Star can put up gaudy numbers on an average team, after all, but only a superstar can lift a franchise to title contention.<\/p>\n Morant, 22,\u00a0is busting through that threshold.<\/p>\n Morant’s star power is evident in\u00a0NBA All-Star fan voting. He ranked third among Western Conference guards in the first fan voting behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Dallas’ Luka Doncic. Curry, who will face off against Morant on Tuesday at FedExForum,<\/span> is the MVP favorite, and Doncic\u2019s European fanbase gives him a significant boost.\u00a0<\/p>\n But beyond those two, Morant topped Chris Paul and Devin Booker \u2014 who are both playing at All-Star levels fresh off of an NBA Finals appearance \u2014 and Donovan Mitchell, who plays for a higher-seeded Jazz team and won the Western Conference Player of the Month for December.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thankful, grateful for everything, but I deserve this,\u201d Morant said after scoring 41 points against\u00a0the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 29. \u201cI know what I do behind close doors. Like I say, in the dark<\/em>. It\u2019s all just showing now. It\u2019s a blessing, man.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, Morant\u2019s rise goes beyond the flashy plays that make him the \u201cmost exciting player in the league,” according to Magic Johnson. Here’s a look at how Morant has elevated his status toward superstardom this season:\u00a0<\/p>\n