Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant made it clear on Thursday night that he didn’t care about his “bad boy” reputation and wouldn’t be convinced to stop the way he celebrates a big moment on the court.
The NBA issued a warning to Morant and Golden State Warriors shooting guard Buddy Hield on Thursday for displaying “inappropriate” finger-gun gestures during the Grizzlies-Warriors game on Tuesday night. Just hours after the official warning, Morant was at it again, making the questionable move twice during Memphis’ 110-108 victory against the Miami Heat.
The former No. 2 overall pick helped the Grizzlies snap a four-game losing streak by finishing with a team-high 30 points on 11-for-22 shooting (3-for-7 on three-pointers). Morant drilled the game-winning jumper as time expired and recorded five rebounds and two assists as well.
On Friday afternoon, the NBA addressed the two-time All-Star’s disregard for the warning, docking Morant $75,000.
“Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been fined $75,000 for twice making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the league announced. “Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.”
Morant on the Critics: ‘I Don’t Care no More’
Morant discussed the ongoing criticism toward him following the win against Miami.
“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,” the former Rookie of the Year said, per The Athletic. “So, yeah. I don’t care no more.”
This is the latest gun-related controversy surrounding Morant, albeit not as serious as previous episodes.
The Murray State product has been suspended twice by the Association for brandishing a firearm on social media.
The first instance came in March 2023 when Morant was doing an Instagram live stream at a Denver nightclub following a loss to the Nuggets and resulted in an indefinite suspension that lasted eight games. He was also suspended for the first 25 contests of the 2023-24 campaign for conduct detrimental to the league after brandishing a firearm during another Instagram live session on his friend’s account in May 2023.
Morant Leads Grizzlies to Crucial Victory vs. Heat
The Grizzlies improved to 45-32 with the win, which was the first since Taylor Jenkins was shockingly fired as head coach. Memphis is in sixth place in the Western Conference, meaning they would be the final team to avoid the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today.
The group has already clinched a playoff berth but could still finish as high as third in the conference or as low as seventh or eighth and fall into the Play-In field.
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