Earlier today, the NBA announced a $75,000 fine for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant for a gun gesture, a punishment that came just a day after the league issued a warning for a similar gesture.
During the Grizzlies' game vs. the Golden State Warriors on April 1, both Morant and Buddy Hield aimed finger guns at each other. The NBA opted not to punish either player, instead issuing warnings. However, two days later, in the Grizzlies' first game since the Hield interaction, Morant celebrated a made 3-pointer against the Miami Heat with two gun gestures, which led the league to slap him with a fine.
Former Grizzlies player Chandler Parsons, who played for Memphis from 2016 to 2019, did not hold back in his disapproval of Morant's latest celebration.
“It’s things like this that show a level of disrespect and disregard to the NBA’s wishes of not doing it,” Parsons said on FanDuel's ‘Run It Back' show. “A level of immaturity and just zero growth as a professional NBA player that’s a role model for millions and millions of kids. I just don’t get it. It’s sad, it’s disappointing, and again, this is a dude that’s on a slippery slope, man. This guy has endorsements, millions of dollars. At this point, it’s not about money. You can’t do anything to this dude to make him stop clearly. It’s sad, I don’t know anything else because he’s so good at basketball, but now, it’s just about ruining his image.”
While the NBA is not the only sports league to try to crack down on taunts perceived to be promoting guns — the NFL and college football have notably issued in-game penalties for ‘finger-gun' celebrations — the circumstances around Morant, in particular, are unique. Despite being the Grizzlies' best player and one of the top young players in the league, Morant has been the subject of immense criticism over the past few years for several incidents, some of which involve firearms.
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After a game against the Indiana Pacers in January 2023, during which Morant and his father had an altercation with members of the Pacers, someone in a car Morant was riding in pointed a red laser into Indiana's team bus, which led some involved to believe the laser was attached to a gun. The NBA investigated the incident but did not hand out punishments to any players, including Morant.
Just over a month later, Morant was seen in an Instagram Live with a gun in a Denver-area nightclub. Morant subsequently took time away from the team and reportedly entered a counseling program. The NBA eventually suspended Morant for eight games for the incident, with six games having already been served due to his absence from the team.
In May, a few weeks after his team's season ended and less than two months after returning from suspension, Morant was suspended indefinitely by the Grizzlies for holding a gun in an Instagram Live. The NBA issued Morant a 25-game suspension to start the 2023-24 season.
After last night's win vs. the Heat, Morant and the Grizzlies are tied for seventh in the Western Conference.
