Ja Morant’s recent on-court gestures have resulted in NBA discipline.
The league fined the Memphis Grizzlies guard $75,000 on Friday, one day after he repeatedly mimicked shooting a gun in celebration during Thursday’s game against the Miami Heat. Morant’s finger-gun gestures came hours after the league warned him to refrain from using the celebration.
“Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light,” the NBA said in a news release announcing the fine.
The NBA’s prior warning came after Morant and Golden State’s Buddy Hield made finger-gun gestures during their matchup on Tuesday. The league told the Grizzlies and Warriors that the gestures were inappropriate and instructed the players to stop using them, a league source said. According to the source, the teams argued that the gestures were not intended to be violent.
Ja Morant appeared to make a gun gesture at the Warriors’ bench late in the game
pic.twitter.com/fTvFA0wpit
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 2, 2025
Still, Morant made the shooting motion multiple times versus Miami in a game that ended with him scoring the game-winning basket. He broke out the celebration after his first basket of the game and again after making a 3-pointer in the third quarter.
Morant, 25, has been suspended twice in recent seasons for gun-related incidents.
In March 2023, the NBA issued an eight-game suspension after Morant was seen brandishing a gun on Instagram Live while at a gentlemen’s club in Glendale, Colo. He also missed the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season due to suspension after he was seen holding a handgun while riding in a car on Instagram Live.
Ja Morant was issued a warning by the NBA for making a gun gesture on Tuesday night.
Tonight, he brought the celebration back. pic.twitter.com/p71Z70oKup
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 4, 2025
After the 110-108 victory over Miami, the guard said he’s “well aware (of the talk)” about his reputation but isn’t bothered.
“Every little thing,” Morant said when asked about the finger-gun celebrations. “If somebody can say something negative about me, it’s going to be out there. I don’t care no more.”
“I’m used to it,” he added. “I’ve pretty much been a villain for two years now.”
The NBA does not have a rule against specific gestures, but the league has fined players for making gun-related motions in the past. In 2017, then-Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson was fined $35,000 for gesturing toward a fan in a way that appeared to mimic pulling a trigger. Gerald Green, then with the Miami Heat, received a $25,000 penalty for making a similar gesture in 2015.
(Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
