Aside from the fact that his style of play is, well, amazing, one of the reasons Stephen Curry’s appeal to so many people is that, as an NBA player, he is relatively small, which helps fans identify with him. Few of us can imagine what it would be like to overpower other outstanding athletes with sheer size and strength while standing seven feet tall. In contrast, it seems much easier to cast yourself as the 6-foot-2, 185-pound guy—someone who looks a lot more like people we might interact with on a regular basis, save for the part where his jumper always goes in. (This interpretation has consistently underestimated the subtler but equally impressive facets of athleticism—the agility, balance, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination—that have helped Curry win two MVP awards.)

On Monday night, while I was witnessing Ja Morant dunk Jakob Poeltl into the ninth circle of hell, it occurred to me that the superstar player for the Grizzlies lives in a similar yet different realm. Given his stature of 6 feet 3 inches and 174 pounds, Morant may appear more average in comparison to most larger NBA players. The fact that it is impossible for us to imagine our own bodies functioning in this manner—that is, how immediately, plainly, and unmistakably evident it is that he is, quite literally, Built Different—is what makes him so incredibly compelling.

After receiving an outlet pass from Steven Adams of the Grizzlies, Morant dribbled carelessly past Josh Primo of the Spurs and, following another bounce, faced Poeltl. He positioned his right foot outside the paint, placed his left foot slightly inside, and leaped into the air without any hesitation. He didn’t hesitate, of course. Why on earth would you do that, even if you could?

The NBA is the same as the Ohio Valley—against a 7-foot-1, 245-pound player who ranks sixth in the league in blocks, no less. Pete Pranica, the play-by-play announcer for Memphis, let out a ferocious cry upon seeing it. Eric Hasseltine, Grizzlies radio voice, became Duke Tango as a result. We were all very appreciative to get our daily fix of ridiculous Ja highlights. No more is asked of Daren. Wouldn’t want to act avaricious.

Other than that, you might only have to wait a few minutes for another serving when using Morant. Really, really. After two minutes:

In the waning moments of the first half, Adams dribbled the length of the court. With precisely the right amount of time and space, Hail Mary—seriously, who taught the Ent how to play quarterback?—dropped it to Morant in the left corner, where he was able to leap, catch, and splash a buzzer-beating jumper from the baseline to send Memphis up 10 points at the half. and once again sending a FedExForum full of fervent Grizzlies fans into a state of hysteria.

This man’s face conveys his belief that anything is possible for him because he is a man of science and has seen the evidence: