NBA sportscaster shares hilarious story about origin of 'Ja-breaker' call coined for notorious Ja Morant dunk

Longtime NBA sportscaster Ian Eagle delivered what many considered one of his most iconic calls following a Ja Morant dunk during the 2022 NBA playoffs. According to the renowned broadcaster, the idea for his commentary stemmed from one of his core childhood memories.

Morant made a name for himself as one of the NBA's highest flyers over his first few seasons, regularly delivering highlight plays. Perhaps the Memphis Grizzlies star point guard's most impressive dunk came in Game 5 of his squad's 2022 first-round postseason series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Late in the third quarter, Morant drove the ball from near-midcourt and elevated over then-Timberwolves sharpshooter Malik Beasley from well outside the restricted area. The two-time All-Star proceeded to throw down a right-handed slam dunk through contact, eliciting a memorable reaction from Eagle.

"Morant. Ohhh! A Ja-breaker!" Eagle enthusiastically exclaimed.

Morant's dunk and Eagle's "Ja-breaker" call both went viral on social media, with the commentator later noting that he was prepared for a Morant highlight slam:

"You just want to meet the moment in those situations," Eagle said. "Lots of stuff marinates in your head, but you never know if you'll actually use it. Morant is an insane talent, so you have to be aware that he could do something special every time he touches the ball."

Nearly three years later, Eagle recounted the moment on Wednesday's edition of the "Marchand Sports Media Podcast." He humorously broke down how his childhood affinity for jawbreaker candies, AKA gobstoppers, helped him coin his unforgettable "Ja-breaker" phrase.

"Let's start from the beginning," Eagle said. "I was a young boy of eight, and there was a candy at my local store. Large circular figure. My parents did not allow me to eat candy, but I saved up enough money, went to the store, and said, 'Sir, I'd like one jawbreaker, please,' and they sold me the candy.

"I had to hide it from my parents, and I would chew on it trying to break that thing into a million pieces, and one day, finally, I did. ... So, that's where it germinated from."

Thus, it appears Morant's otherworldly athleticism rekindled Eagle's childhood spirit as he erupted in jubilation.

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Ian Eagle on where Ja Morant's 'Ja-breaker' dunk ranks among best slams he's called

Shortly after his famous 'Ja-breaker' call, Ian Eagle weighed in on where the play stacked up against the top dunks he's had the privilege to cover.

According to the sportscasting icon, Ja Morant's slam was on par with the most electric he's seen from several storied players.

"It's definitely a top-five dunk that I've called," Eagle said. "Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin and Shawn Kemp come to mind. Given the stage, Morant's dunk ranks right up there."

However, it's unclear if Eagle's rankings have changed over the last few years.

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