Morez Johnson Jr. led the Michigan Wolverines in the 69-63 win against the UConn Huskies in the NCAA Championship game. In 27 minutes, Johnson Jr. recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to hand the Michigan men’s basketball program their second national title since 1989.
Morez Jr. is drawing attention on the internet for a special reason behind his No. 21 jersey.
Who Are Morez Johnson Jr.’s Parents?
Morez Johnson Jr. was born on Jan. 25, 2006, to Natasha Jones and Morez Johnson Sr., who raised him in Riverdale, Illinois. He played and started loving basketball at the age of just 11 years while at St. Rita High School.
The Wolverines star graduated from Thornton Township High School and was a top-30 player in the nation. Johnson Jr. credits his father for his rise in basketball.
“Morez has always been determined,” Natasha told the Chicago Sun-Times in November 2023. “He was always told there was someone better than him.”
Morez Sr. once told his son on what he can achieve on basketball court if he’s ready to bill in the hours.
“A lot of the kids had better skills than him when he started,” Morez Johnson Sr. said. “But I remember talking with him in the car in sixth grade. I told him that he was going to have the height advantage and if he worked harder than everyone else he would catch them fast. That’s what he did.”
What’s Morez Johnson Jr.’s Parents’ Link to Michigan Star’s Jersey Number?
Morez Johnson Jr. wears No. 21 for Michigan. It’s a nod to his mother and father.
Both his mom and dad were born on the 7th day of a month. He combined that into 21 (7 * 3), calling it a symbol of “three sevens” and good luck.
“Seven times three is 21,” he told Fox Sports. “Three sevens [are] good luck.”
Morez Johnson Jr. also has a sister named Moriah Johnson. For the NCAA title game against UConn, Moriah shared the lengths she will go to cheer for her brother’s Michigan.
“I can’t wait until Monday night,” Moriah said. “I’m going to be so loud. I wanted Illinois just so we could blow them out again, but it’s going to be a blowout anyway. We are going to win it all.”
Moriah wanted it to be Illinois in the finals because the Wolverines have defeated them previously in blowout fashion. However, since the Huskies defeated them, they faced Michigan in the title game. Moriah’s wishes were honored. Maybe not a blowout game, but Michigan defeated UConn to win the national championship.
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