Ja Morant got in trouble again for aiming an imaginary gun to celebrate three-pointers, so he has gone to a different make-believe violent way to mark a long-distance shot in the NBA.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ leading scorer, who was fined $US75,000 ($120,000) recently for mimicking pointing a gun after a basket from outside the arc, acted like he was pulling the pin and tossing a grenade in his team’s 141-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Morant, who was 5/13 from three-point range, in some cases also covered his ears after the windmill-like hurl of the invisible explosive.
Morant’s new celebration includes him ripping the pin out of his imaginary grenade with his teeth, action-hero style. (Getty Images: Justin Ford)
“That’s my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I’ll find another one,” Morant said.
He later added “it’s not what you think it is”, but his explanation was not believed by many, if any.
“I’m taking my words, and I’m throwing them out there,” he said.
“I’m speaking Ja. I’m being Ja. I’m going to take my words, I’m going to throw them out there, and then I’m going to block out the noise. So when you see me do that, that’s what I’m doing.”
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The league handed down the $US75,000 fine on April 4 after Morant twice made what was considered an “inappropriate” imaginary gun-aiming gesture on the court. He was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.
The fine was the culmination of several questionable incidents involving firearms.
Morant was suspended for 25 games at the start of the 2023/24 season after he was seen on video waving a gun in a car. He previously was suspended eight games after he was seen with a gun in a Denver-area nightspot.
Morant (right) was criticised for his celebrations after returning from suspensions for gun use. (Getty Images: Brennan Asplen)
The gestures that drew the fine were made by Morant during the Grizzlies’ 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat on April 3, but it also drew the league’s attention in an April 1 home game against the Golden State Warriors.
That led to the investigation and the warning before Morant did it again against Miami.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Morant said of the latest fine.
Teammate Vince Williams Jr backed Morant’s change in celebration, adding: “I would have went to that too.”
“It’s good for him, he gets to save his money,” Williams said.
“Anything that benefits him saving his money, I’m all for it, honestly.”
But the grenade celebration drew criticism from the TNT broadcast crew.
Former Houston Rockets guard Kenny Smith noted Morant “has a history that maybe he shouldn’t be doing that”.
Hall of Fame centre Shaquille O’Neal added: “He knows what he’s doing because y’all are going to keep talking about it.”
As for Charles Barkley, he said the happiest person may be former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, who was fired on March 28, because “he ain’t got to deal with this immature stuff”.
Morant’s Grizzlies face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday morning (AEST).
AP
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