NBA warns Ja Morant about using 'finger gun' celebration due to past suspensions over guns — he immediately does it again

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant immediately ignored a league warning about his celebrations despite receiving massive suspensions over his actions in the past.

It all started when Morant was suspended eight games without pay after being shown with a firearm in a club during an Instagram live video in March 2023.

In June 2023, Morant was suspended for 25 games for wielding a gun once again on social media.

Morant played for just three weeks following his suspension before bowing out of the 2023-2024 season for shoulder surgery.

Fast-forward to the 2024-2025 season, when Morant started off April by making a blatant rifle-aiming gesture toward the Golden State Warriors bench during a game. It should be noted that gun or rifle gestures are extremely common in sports and are often used by players to denote being a sharpshooter in the sense of being a point producer or goal scorer.

The next day, an ESPN reporter revealed the NBA was "looking into" Morant for his finger gun motions.

Morant took to his X page that day and simply said "ja this ... ja that," before he added, "God bless yall" a minute later.

On April 3, it was revealed the NBA had issued an official warning, but no penalties, to both Morant and Buddy Hield of the Warriors.

The league was cited as having generously ruled that the celebrations were not intended to be violent in nature but were still found to be inappropriate. The NBA also reportedly asked the players to refrain from doing the motions in the future.

Morant waited mere hours to mock the league's warning and immediately did the celebration that same night against the Miami Heat.

Less than five minutes into the first quarter, Morant made a three-pointer and performed the celebration again, but it did not appear to be directed at anyone in particular, as he did not make the gun motion toward team benches. Morant finished the game with 30 points.

It is unclear what will happen to the 25-year-old, if anything at all. According to the New York Times, the NBA does not have a rule against specific gestures of this nature.

However, it has suspended or given fouls to players for unsportsmanlike conduct for the same or similar moves. In 2017, the New York Times noted that Josh Jackson was fined for $35,000 for a motion that looked like he was pulling a trigger. In 2015, Gerald Green was similarly fined $25,000.

The NFL, on the other hand, recently listed finger guns as a "violent gesture" ahead of the 2025 season, a ruling that has also affected that league's top stars. Three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes received a fine for finger guns after a touchdown last season.

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