Ja Morant has found himself in trouble once again for his on-court celebrations. After recently being fined $75,000 for mimicking the act of aiming a gun to celebrate a three-pointer, Morant switched to a new, imaginary method of marking a long-distance shot. In a recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Morant pretended to pull the pin and throw a grenade, even covering his ears after making the invisible throw. He stated, “That’s my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I’ll find another one.”
This fine, which was imposed on April 4, came after Morant performed what the league considered an “inappropriate” gun gesture during a game against the Miami Heat on April 3. The league had previously warned Morant about these gestures, which were first noticed during a home game against the Golden State Warriors on April 1. The fine added to a series of previous incidents, including a 25-game suspension to start the 2023-24 season after Morant was seen waving a gun in a car and another eight-game suspension after a separate incident in a Denver nightclub.
Morant, however, seemed unfazed by the fine, remarking that he wasn’t surprised by the penalty, considering the attention his actions have drawn over the past couple of years. His teammate, Vince Williams Jr., wasn’t shocked by Morant’s new grenade celebration, noting that it was a good move to avoid further fines. “Anything that benefits him saving his money, I’m all for it,” Williams said.
Despite the change in celebration, Morant’s new act still faced criticism. TNT’s Kenny Smith pointed out that Morant’s past makes such actions questionable, while Shaquille O’Neal commented that Morant knew his actions would attract attention. Charles Barkley added that the person who might be the happiest about this situation was former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, who was recently fired and no longer has to deal with what he called “immature stuff.”
