Title: “Ja But! 😂 Ja Morant Hits Signature Celly as Fans Chant in Viral Frenzy During Summer Showcase”
The crowd inside the packed Manila Arena erupted—not just in cheers, but in laughter, joy, and total disbelief—as Ja Morant brought the house down with a rim-rattling windmill dunk followed by his now-iconic celebration: arms stretched wide, shoulders shimmying, head bobbing to a rhythm only he can hear.
But it wasn’t just the move that stole the show. It was the chant echoing from the rafters, a spontaneous rally cry started by Filipino fans that’s now going viral across the globe:
> “JA BUT! JA BUT! JA BUT!”
Yes, you read that right. In a moment of perfectly chaotic fandom, a crowd of over 20,000 fans turned Morant’s moment into a meme—shouting “Ja But!” in sync, riffing off online jokes that started with, “Ja is great, BUT…”
And Ja? He embraced it.
> “I was like, ‘What y’all sayin’?’” Morant laughed postgame, still catching his breath. “Then I heard it again—‘JA BUT!’—and man, I just leaned into it. That’s love right there.”
The moment happened during the third quarter of the NBA Global Summer Showcase, where Morant headlined an All-Star-studded exhibition game in Manila as part of the league’s international outreach campaign. With celebrities courtside, Jeepneys parked outside the arena, and murals of Ja painted across the city, this wasn’t just a game—it was a movement.
And Morant delivered.
He finished the night with 31 points, 8 assists, and 4 dunks that nearly broke the rim, including one over a local celebrity who’d agreed (somewhat naively) to contest a fast break layup. But it was the third-quarter celly, triggered by a no-look alley-oop from Trae Young, that became the defining image of the night.
The entire crowd stood up, phone cameras rolling, as Ja hit the celebration that made him famous. Then came the chant:
“JA BUT!”
It started as a joke, a nod to internet critics who constantly try to undercut his rising stardom.
But in that arena, it was reclaimed as pure hype.
> “It was electric,” said Young. “It’s rare to see a player become folklore in real time, but that’s what Ja is. And he knows how to make the moment his.”
Social media exploded immediately.
The NBA’s official X account posted a clip with the caption: “This ain’t a BUT, it’s an EXCLAMATION MARK. JA!!! 🔥”
Meanwhile, Morant himself reposted a fan video with the words:
> “They said ‘Ja BUT’? I said Ja BUCKET 💯🔥”
Within hours, local T-shirt vendors were already selling bootleg “JA BUT!” shirts, while a muralist in Quezon City updated his art piece to include the new chant beneath a mid-air Morant.
Fans online began theorizing: could this be the beginning of a global rebrand? A playful jab turned power statement? A crowd chant that could rival “MVP”?
One thing’s for sure: Ja Morant isn’t just back—he’s bigger, bolder, and more beloved than ever.
JA BUT? Nah—JA’S THE MOMENT.
