Sources had told the press early this Thursday that both Ja Morant and Buddy Field were issued warning by the league for mimicking shooting a gun as a mean to celebrate after scoring points. That same night, the Grizzlies guard risked further punishment by the NBA after repeating the same action during their 110-108 win at Miami.
It seems as if the Memphis star couldn’t care less about the league’s wishes, which is disturbing considering he’s already suffered so much in the past for playing with guns on social media. It all happened after Ja hit a 25-foot shot from beyond the arc with 7:51 left in the first quarter.
The 25-year-old then ran back on defense while fully extending his arm and his left hand in a gun pose. Sources nearby said that the NBA ruled out the possibility that the celebrations were intended to be violent, but deemed them as inappropriate.
After the Grizzlies beat the Heat on Thursday, Morant admitted he was “well aware” of the criticism he would face for his finger-shooting celebrations. “I’m kind of used to it,” said the two-time All-Star, who has been suspended twice in the past.
The superstar guard then added: “I was pretty much a villain for two years now. Every little thing, if somebody can say something negative about me, it’s going to be out there. So, yeah. I don’t care no more.”
Ja should be more careful, especially considering that the second suspension he suffered due to brandishing a firearm on social media caused him to miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season.“To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model,” he said at the time.
“I promise I’m going to be better,” he insisted as the NBA sent him to therapy during his absence. “To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”
