NBA Boilers: Ja Morant Tells Hilarious Story About Zach Edey Becoming 'Enforcer'
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It's pretty nice to have a 7-foot-4, 300-pound "enforcer" on your basketball team. That's what former Purdue star and Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey has become during his rookie season in the NBA, according to teammate and league superstar Ja Morant.
Edey, who was the eighth overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, put his enforcer skills on full display Saturday night when the Grizzlies hosted the Utah Jazz. Early in the second quarter, things got chippy between the 7-foot-4 center and Utah's Drew Eubanks.
Tempers started flaring early, when Morant and Keyonte George got into a scuffle. Then, shortly after that, things got chippy between Eubanks and Edey, leading to an ejection for Eubanks.
Drew Eubanks ejected has been ejected after this play on Zach Edey. pic.twitter.com/Tq2u0uhB4L
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) January 26, 2025
After the game, Morant shared a funny moment he had with Edey after the first scuffle unfolded. It shows why the 7-foot-4 center has become so well-liked by his teammates.
"It was a screen and bro kind of mugged me," Morant said in a video posted by Griffin DeMarrais of Action News 5. "Then Zach came over and like, 'He bothering you?' I'm like, 'Nah, bro.' Then the first technical happened, so I guess Zach thought I was lying and he became the enforcer that he is for this team.
"Shout out to my big fella. I got that tech for him, so, he doesn't have to worry about it coming out of pocket."
Ja Morant called Zach Edey "the enforcer" of this team and said during the scuffle with Drew Eubanks Edey came over and asked:
— Griffin S. DeMarrais (@GDeMarraisTV) January 26, 2025
"he bothering you?" @WMCActionNews5 pic.twitter.com/nXSlVHw1lP
Defending your teammates is a good way to build team chemistry. Clearly, Edey has embraced his role in his first season in the NBA.
Edey had a huge night for the Grizzlies on Saturday, scoring 19 points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking four shots. Memphis defeated Utah 125-103 to improve to 31-15 on the season.
The rookie has played well in his last two games. In Friday's win over New Orleans, he posted another double-double, finishing the night with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Edey is enjoying a solid rookie campaign thus far. Although he's battled some injuries early, he's still averaging 9.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Perhaps more impressively, he's shooting 58.3% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range.
Not bad for a player who attempted just two 3-pointers in his entire four-year career at Purdue.
"Enforcer Edey" and the Grizzlies will return to action on Monday night, traveling to The Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET).
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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