Revealing the Meeting Between Morant and New Coach Nori! Eager to Wear the Trail Blazers Jersey, Tanking Made Him Lose the Joy of Playing

On July 2, Beijing time, Trail Blazers reporter Jason Quick wrote an article revealing the process and content of the meeting between new coach Nori and new addition Morant at a steakhouse in South Carolina yesterday. Morant is eager to wear the Trail Blazers jersey and admitted that the Grizzlies' recent tanking has made him lose the joy of playing basketball. Below is the article content—

The two had lunch and talked for two hours at a steakhouse in South Carolina. Trail Blazers new head coach Nori's deepest impression was that the young man across from him was sincere in words, serious in expression, and barely able to contain his excitement. Morant admitted to the new coach that he can't wait to play in the Trail Blazers uniform.

"I believe we will see Ja at his peak, a Ja full of fighting spirit," Nori said.

Yesterday's lunch meeting was the first encounter between the two new core players of the Trail Blazers, full of wonderful coincidences. Before the Trail Blazers finalized Nori as head coach last week, he had originally planned to take his family to Myrtle Beach for vacation this week. On Tuesday, the Trail Blazers traded for Morant. Learning that the soon-to-be 27-year-old star was in his hometown of Dalzell, the two immediately arranged to meet in Columbia—Nori drove about two and a half hours, while Morant only needed a 45-minute drive.

When they sat down at the restaurant, Morant mentioned a coincidence: four days earlier, just after being traded from the Grizzlies to the Trail Blazers, a letter arrived at his home with the word "Trail Blazers" printed on the back of the envelope.

"Some things are meant to be," Nori quoted Morant as saying.

Morant's new journey in Portland will be closely watched by the entire league.

He was once a rising superstar in the league, but consecutive injuries and off-court controversies have dimmed his star. Morant was suspended twice by the league for posting images of guns on social media and actions that damaged the league's image: one suspension for 8 games, another for 25 games; he also served a one-game internal suspension by the Grizzlies for a conflict with the head coach.

The atmosphere in Memphis became completely toxic. The Grizzlies' management determined that Morant no longer fit the team's long-term plans and ultimately sent away the former franchise cornerstone in exchange for only Jerami Grant and Chris Murray.

Now 26, Morant joins a Trail Blazers team stacked with guards in the backcourt and urgently needs to rebuild his image. Additionally, his lean physique has suffered from multiple injuries to his elbow, hip, and shoulder over the years, playing only 79 games in the past three seasons, significantly affecting his performance.

But on Wednesday, Nori, sitting across from Morant in the steakhouse booth, saw none of the willfulness, rebellion, or arrogance that had been attached to Morant in the past.

Nori said he was deeply impressed by Morant's speech and demeanor, which were full of calmness, enthusiasm, and focus.

"You could tell from his tone, the look in his eyes, and the inner desire—he misses basketball so much," Nori said. "He promised me he would give his best and uphold all professional standards."

Nori, previously the lead assistant coach for the Timberwolves, had already done his homework. He had in-depth conversations with Kyle Anderson—Anderson played alongside Morant in Memphis and later was coached by Nori in Minnesota; he also contacted former colleague Mike Miller, who had been Morant's agent; and consulted Steve Senior, who worked in the front offices of both the Grizzlies and Timberwolves.

"This lunch confirmed everything my trusted contacts told me—people who worked with him day in and day out all had positive things to say about his character," Nori said. "I also told him honestly that everyone I asked praised his on-court performance, personality, and teamwork. All his teammates really like him."

Nori told Morant that in Portland, he has a fresh start, and the future chapter is his to write.

"I told him, the Trail Blazers don't need you to do anything earth-shattering," Nori said. "Just be yourself and become the best version of you."

During the meal, Nori understood the key change in Morant's heart: he had rediscovered his love for basketball. Morant admitted that not only had his injuries finally healed, but also that the Trail Blazers currently have championship potential, reigniting his fighting spirit.

In the latter part of his seven seasons with the Grizzlies, the team went from a perennial playoff contender to a deliberate tanking squad chasing high draft picks. Morant told the coach that during that time, he completely lost the joy of playing.

"Throughout the whole conversation, we never discussed playing time, rotations, or him asking for a starting spot," Nori recalled. "What he kept talking about was how happy he was in his early years with the Grizzlies, leading them to the playoffs. He is really looking forward to a team that aims to win, not one that tanks for draft picks."

There have always been questions: with the Trail Blazers already having Lillard, Holiday, and Henderson as point guards, how will adding Morant fit in the backcourt? Nori, who is skilled at designing offensive schemes, believes that having four ball-handling guards is not a problem but rather a unique advantage.

The new Trail Blazers coach also talked about his contract and the assembly of his assistant coaching staff.

Nori revealed that he is reworking the team's tactical system: moving away from relying too heavily on drive-and-kick plays, and instead designing more pick-and-roll sets to maximize the value of the four point guards—all of whom possess elite court vision and selfless passing instincts.

The core of Nori's tactics is quick decision-making and precise passing. Morant and the other Trail Blazers guards are a perfect fit for this system.

"There are many ways to create offensive advantages. Building around ball-handling guards actually broadens offensive options, with all tactics revolving around players who can handle the ball and read the defense."

He also plans to use small lineups with multiple guards on the floor simultaneously, using frequent pick-and-roll switches to create defensive chaos for opponents. Even if opponents sag off Morant due to his career 31% three-point shooting percentage, Nori is not worried.

"Defenders won't easily give Morant space. Now that he's healthy, his first step is explosive, and he can get to the rim in an instant," Nori commented. "Once he gets into the paint, he's one of the best finishers in the league."

Nori left South Carolina today for Los Angeles to meet with veteran Holiday. He wants to make clear to Holiday: even after acquiring Morant, Holiday remains an important part of the team's core plans, and unless an irresistible blockbuster trade comes along, he won't be moved easily.

"I know many people think this trade will trigger a chain of deals, and the future is uncertain, but Jrue Holiday holds significant weight in our blueprint," Nori said. "I want him to know that I will continue to design plays that maximize his strengths, and he is fully entitled to communicate with me about his preferred role."

Nori is not yet sure whether the team will ultimately keep all four guards, but he is very willing to keep everyone. As he told Morant, playing a four-guard small lineup with continuous pick-and-roll rotations can completely disrupt the opponent's defense and keep them scrambling.

At the steakhouse, after Morant finished his meal, the two continued talking. Nori could clearly feel that Morant was not just embracing a new city and a new team; he was already envisioning his new chapter in life.

"You can fully sense his state of mind," Nori said. "His speech, his eyes, his inner desire—it's all there. He's reserved yet confident, and he knows his ceiling. Now that he's healthy and on a competitive team, he can absolutely write his own new chapter."

As lunch was coming to an end, after hearing Morant's heartfelt words, Nori felt inspired. Morant enthusiastically listed the entire Trail Blazers roster, talking about the talents of his new teammates.

"He's very happy to be playing alongside veterans like Lillard and Jrue, and he also rates the young players like Avdija, Henderson, Clingan, and Camara highly—he knows all their names by heart."

As they walked out of the restaurant, Nori asked Morant what he needed from him, what help he could provide.

Morant simply replied: "Get me a Trail Blazers uniform as soon as possible. I want to put it on right now."

Nori smiled and promised to take care of it quickly. Afterward, he went to the University of South Carolina campus because his daughter Mia is enrolling this fall and had asked him to take photos of the dormitory and surrounding area.

While Nori was holding up his phone to take pictures of the dormitory building, a text message popped up from Morant. He thanked the coach for the talk and told him to drive safely on the way back. Nori replied that the next two or three years would definitely be exciting.

Morant replied with a short sentence: "I'm ready."