Does Ja Morant Have Lung Disease? Facts & Truth

Rumors move fast online, and sometimes they move faster than the truth. A wild claim about Ja Morant’s health took over TikTok and left fans searching for real answers.

So does Ja Morant have lung disease? This article breaks down the hoax, the real injury behind it, and everything else worth knowing about the Memphis Grizzlies guard turned Portland Trail Blazer.

Quick Facts About Ja Morant

Here’s a snapshot before we dig deeper.

Category	Detail
Full name	Temetrius Jamel “Ja” Morant
Born	August 10, 1999, Dalzell, South Carolina
Height	6’2″ to 6’3″ (listed inconsistently)
Weight	174 to 175 lbs
College	Murray State University (2017 to 2019)
Drafted	2nd overall, 2019, by Memphis Grizzlies
Current team	Portland Trail Blazers
Lung disease status	No. Rumor was proven false
Actual recent injury	Left elbow UCL sprain

Who Is Ja Morant?

Ja Morant plays point guard in the NBA, and he built his name on speed, vision, and highlight dunks that look like they defy gravity.

He entered the league in 2019 and quickly became one of the most exciting young players in basketball. Fans call him “Point God” because of how he sets up teammates, even though he can also score in bunches on his own.

He grew up in a basketball household. His father, Tee Morant, played college ball. His mother, Jamie Morant, played softball. That competitive streak got passed down early, and Ja started working on his game in the backyard as a toddler.

Physical Statistics

Numbers matter in basketball, especially for a guard who relies on quickness and body control.

Physical Profile

• Height: 6’2″ (some sources list 6’3″)
• Weight: around 174 to 175 lbs
• Position: Point guard
• Wingspan: known for elite length relative to his height
• Vertical leap: one of the highest in the league, which fuels his dunking ability

His frame looks slight for the NBA, but don’t let that fool you. He plays bigger than his listed size, especially in the air.

Physical Statistics: Does Ja Morant Have Lung Cancer?

Let’s answer this directly. No, Ja Morant does not have lung cancer. He has never been diagnosed with any lung disease. The claim started as a manipulated screenshot, not a real medical report.

Here’s how it played out. A TikTok user posted a doctored image made to look like a tweet from Morant’s father. The fake post claimed Ja had lung cancer and would miss the rest of the season. It even included a Bible verse to make it feel more believable. The post never existed on any real account.

The timing made the hoax spread faster. Morant had just suffered a real injury during a game against the Atlanta Hawks, so fans were already worried. That worry created the perfect environment for a fake story to take hold. Within days, the videos pushing the false claim racked up tens of thousands of views.

No hospital, no doctor, and no team statement ever confirmed a cancer diagnosis. The Memphis Grizzlies only confirmed one thing: a sprained ligament in his elbow, not a disease in his lungs.

School and College Career

Before the NBA lights, Morant built his game step by step, starting with a South Carolina high school gym.

High School

Morant attended Crestwood High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He left as the school’s all-time leading scorer, racking up 1,679 points during his career there. Despite that, major colleges barely noticed him. Recruiting services didn’t even rank him.

That lack of attention became fuel. He trained constantly with his father, who built custom drills to sharpen his game. Sometimes a lack of hype pushes a player harder, and that seems to be exactly what happened here.

College: Murray State University (2017-2019)

Morant landed at Murray State, a smaller program that gave him a real shot. It turned out to be the perfect stage for a young talent to explode onto the national radar.

By his sophomore year, he averaged jaw-dropping numbers. He became the first Division I player in over three decades to average 20 points and 10 assists in a single season. That kind of stat line usually belongs to video game settings, not real box scores.

His breakout moment came during the NCAA tournament. Murray State faced Marquette, and Morant dropped a triple-double: 17 points, 16 assists, and 11 rebounds. The upset win put college basketball on notice. He earned consensus first-team All-American honors and the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year award that same season.

Shortly after that tournament run, he declared for the NBA draft.

Career Rise to Fame

The Memphis Grizzlies selected Morant with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He didn’t take long to prove that pick was worth it. His rookie season featured highlight dunks, smooth playmaking, and enough production to win Rookie of the Year in 2020.

His game relies on explosiveness. That style comes with a price, though, and injuries followed him throughout his career. Knee issues, shoulder problems, and other physical setbacks have interrupted his seasons more than once.

Ja Morant lung injury claims never held up to scrutiny, but real injuries did happen. In January 2026, he suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow during a close loss to the Atlanta Hawks. That injury, not any lung condition, forced him out of the lineup and eventually ended his season with the Grizzlies.

Career Timeline

Here’s a simple breakdown of his path through the league.

1. 2019: Drafted second overall by Memphis
2. 2020: Named NBA Rookie of the Year
3. 2021 and 2022: Selected to his first All-Star teams
4. 2022: Won Most Improved Player and made All-NBA Second Team
5. 2023: Faced two suspensions tied to incidents involving guns on social media
6. 2024 to 2025: Battled recurring injuries while trying to stay on the court
7. 2026: Suffered a left elbow UCL sprain, later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers

Major Career Milestones

• First Division I player in 20 years with 20+ points and 10+ assists per game
• Recorded 40 points, 11 assists, and five steals in a single college game
• Youngest player at the time to record a triple-double in the NBA
• Multiple All-Star selections
• Traded from Memphis, the only NBA team he’d known, to Portland in 2026

Why is Ja Morant not playing right now? The short answer involves injury, not illness. His most recent absence traces back to that elbow sprain, which the Grizzlies confirmed would sideline him for weeks before ultimately ending his season early. He wasn’t sitting out because of any lung condition or hidden disease. It came down to a physical injury that needed time to heal.

Awards and Recognition

Morant has picked up quite a collection of hardware for a player still in his mid-twenties.

• NBA Rookie of the Year (2020)
• NBA All-Star selections (multiple years)
• Most Improved Player (2022)
• All-NBA Second Team (2022)
• Consensus First-Team All-American (college, 2019)
• Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top college point guard (2019)
• Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year (2019)

That resume puts him among the more decorated young guards of his generation, even with the injuries and controversies mixed in.

Personal Life

Away from the court, Morant keeps a relatively low profile compared to other stars of his caliber. He’s spoken about how he prefers time with family over the spotlight that comes with fame.

Family Details

Morant comes from a tight-knit family. His father, Tee Morant, coached him from a young age and even built a backyard training area to help him develop. His mother, Jamie Morant, played softball in college and helped shape his competitive mindset. He also has a younger sister, Teniya, who grew up playing basketball alongside him.

Does Ja Morant have a kid? Yes, he does. He became a father at age 20. His daughter, Kaari Jaidyn Morant, was born in 2019, the same year he entered the NBA. He’s spoken publicly about how fatherhood shaped his perspective and pushed him to work even harder for his family’s future.

Net Worth

Morant’s net worth reflects both his NBA paycheck and his endorsement deals. Various estimates place his net worth in the tens of millions, driven mainly by his massive contract and brand partnerships.

Income Source

His money comes from two main buckets: his NBA salary and outside business deals.

NBA Contract

Morant signed a five year rookie max extension worth around $197.2 million with the Memphis Grizzlies. That deal made him one of the highest paid players at his position. His career earnings from basketball alone have climbed well past the $100 million mark.

Endorsements

Nike signed Morant to a multi year shoe deal early in his career. His signature shoe line, the JA series, includes creative touches like built in trivia questions on the design, a detail that shows how much personality goes into his brand. While exact figures on the deal remain private, it’s widely reported as a multimillion dollar partnership.

Social Media Presence

Morant’s relationship with social media is complicated, to put it lightly. He’s active on Instagram under the handle jamorant, where he shares moments from his career and family life.

Ja Morant X activity has been inconsistent over the years. He’s deactivated accounts before, and he’s admitted that he isn’t a big fan of social media despite his massive following. That distance from the platforms actually made him more vulnerable to rumors like the lung cancer hoax, since fake posts could spread without a quick denial straight from his own account.

Hidden Facts About Ja Morant

A few lesser known details round out the picture:

• His father, Tee Morant, went to high school with NBA legend Ray Allen
• He tattooed his mother’s advice, “beneath no one,” on his left arm
• His sister Teniya plays basketball in their hometown
• He was only lightly recruited out of high school, with almost no scholarship offers
• His college triple-double against Marquette remains one of the most memorable NCAA tournament performances of that decade

Conclusion

So, does Ja Morant have lung disease? No. The claim came from a manipulated screenshot, not a real diagnosis, and no team or doctor ever confirmed it. His actual health issue has been a left elbow UCL sprain, one of several injuries that shaped his career alongside plenty of awards, a massive contract, and a growing family. The rumor made headlines, but the facts tell a much simpler story: misinformation spread fast, and the truth caught up.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What condition does Ja Morant have?

He doesn’t have any lung condition. His most recent documented health issue is a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, confirmed by the Memphis Grizzlies in early 2026.

What injury does Ja Morant have?

His most recent injury is a left elbow UCL sprain, suffered during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. He’s also dealt with knee and shoulder injuries earlier in his career.

Why is Ja not dunking anymore?

Injuries, particularly to his elbow and lower body, have limited his explosiveness at times. 

Is Ja Morant actually 6’3″?

Sources differ slightly. Most official NBA listings put him at 6’2″, while some college records list him at 6’3″.