Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who recently celebrated his 25th birthday, took the opportunity to reunite with former teammate and close friend Ziaire Williams, according to Joey Linn of YardBreaker.
The two have shared a strong bond since Williams was drafted by the Grizzlies. Even after Williams was traded to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this summer, their friendship remains strong.
Williams, 22, attended Morant’s birthday party, where the two celebrated together. Morant shared an Instagram story from Williams showing the two together at the event, stressing that their bond remains despite being on different teams.
When the transfer was announced in July, Morant expressed his feelings on social media, posting Williams’ jersey number with an infinity symbol, suggesting that their friendship was unbreakable.
Move forward
The Grizzlies traded Williams, the 10th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, to the Brooklyn Nets for Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic. The trade was a strategic salary dump orchestrated by Memphis GM Zach Kleiman to make room for the Grizzlies to sign other players, including Luke Kennard.
The move marked a significant change for Williams and Morant, who had grown closer during their time together in Memphis. The Nets, who are currently in a rebuilding phase, offer Williams a chance at regular playing time without the pressure he faced in Memphis.
Williams is looking to establish himself with the Nets and will bring the experience he gained with the Grizzlies to the table, while Morant, who only played nine games last season due to a shoulder injury and suspension, is preparing for a comeback season with Memphis.
The Grizzlies, who have had a relatively quiet offseason, are relying on Morant to lead them back to the postseason, where they have been three times in the last four years.
The recent reunion between Ja and Ziaire reminds us of the strong bonds that form between players, connections that remain strong even when the business side of basketball forces them to go their separate ways.
