NBA star Ja Morant and his mother, Jamie Morant, marked the new year with a special gift made to Mississippi Valley State University’s women’s basketball team. They gifted the team brand new uniforms, which include jerseys and sneakers in multiple colorways.
Ja Morant’s significant gift to an HBCU team
Ja and Jamie provided the team with new uniforms, which include jerseys and exclusive Nike Ja 3 sneakers in different colorways. The gifted jerseys came in all-white, while the sneakers came in blue, neon pink and neon yellow. The Nike Ja 3 is Ja’s latest signature shoe in collaboration with the sports retailer.
“A big THANK YOU to #NBA superstar Ja Morant and his mother Jamie for their continued support of Valley athletics by gifting the Devilettes new uniforms as well as multiple colorways of his Ja 3 sneakers,” Mississippi Valley State wrote in a social media post.
Ja supported Mississippi Valley State in the past. In 2023, the NBA star gifted the women’s team an unreleased colorway of his Nike Ja 1 sneaker. The team was only one of four to wear the pair at the time, according to HBCU Gameday.
Mississippi Valley State operates with one of the smallest athletic budgets in the NCAA, so the institution mainly relies on “buy games” to fund its athletic department.
Ja Morant’s family connection to HBCUs
Ja played at Murray State before joining the NBA as a guard. Yet, he has a personal connection with the program and HBCUs as a whole.
In 2023, his younger sister, Teniya, committed to Mississippi Valley State, while their father, Tee, played at Claflin University, another HBCU.
Teniya appeared in three games with the Devilettes during the 2024-25 season. This season, she’s listed on the roster of Ranger College in Texas, according to HBCU Gameday.