Penny Hardaway has prediction for Ja Morant in NBA All-Star Game

Penny Hardaway is feeling it for Ja Morant.

After Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies star, was voted a starter for next month's the NBA All-Star Game, and not long after Hardaway's former running mate Shaquille O'Neal compared Morant to "a young Kobe Bryant," the Memphis Tigers basketball coach made a bold prediction:

"I'm putting this down right now, he'll be the MVP of the All-Star Game," Hardaway said during a radio interview with Dave Woloshin on Sports 56-WHBQ Friday morning. "With his athleticism and how he plays, I think he can be the MVP of the All-Star Game."

Morant, 22, became the second player in franchise history to be named an All-Star starter, joining Marc Gasol (2015). . Morant, in his third season, is joined by Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jokic as starters from the Western Conference.

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Morant is averaging 25.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 37 games this season. The human highlight reel has been a fixture in social media feeds and on TV with his dunking prowess, playmaking ability and infectious enthusiasm.

Hardaway knows a thing or two about NBA All-Star appearances. The 50-year-old Memphis native made four consecutive All-Star teams, each time as a starter. Hardaway scored 12 points with 11 assists in his All-Star debut in 1995.

“Ja is just special. That’s the word that comes to my mind when I think about Ja,” Hardaway said. “He’s a superstar. He is deserving of the starter vote and (he) should be in the talks for being the frontrunner right now for MVP for how he’s playing.”

Something else Hardaway and Morant have in common — they're both Nike pitchmen. Hardaway's signature shoe remains one of the athletic apparel titan's most enduring and popular lines. Woloshin asked Hardaway on Friday whether Morant will soon have his own footwear deal with Nike.

"He deserves his own shoe, so I'm pushing for that," Hardaway said.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Penny Hardaway has prediction for Ja Morant in NBA All-Star Game