Memphis Grizzlies

Report: NBA players have been provoking Ja Morant’s gun gestures

Published by
Peter Dewey

Fans and other players have been provoking Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“And now he has fans, other players, people in the audience, they’re provoking this too in a lot of ways,” Charania said. “That’s another thing I’ve heard in the last 24 hours.”

Morant was fined $75,000 by the NBA on Friday for finger gun gestures.

The NBA reportedly issued a warning to Morant about the issue, but he then still used the motion in the Grizzlies’ win over the Miami Heat on Thursday.

Morant also appeared to do the motion during Memphis’ game against the Golden State Warriors earlier in the week.

The NBA may be cracking down on Morant since it has already disciplined him for gun-related actions before. Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 NBA season for conduct detrimental to the league after he showed a firearm during an Instagram livestream back in May of 2023.

Hopefully for the Grizzlies, Morant can put the gestures behind him and focus on the team’s chase for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Memphis is currently the No. 6 seed in the West, but it has lost seven of its last 10 games. The Grizzlies don’t have much room for error either, as they are just 0.5 games up on the Los Angeles Clippers in the standings (Los Angeles currently holds the No. 8 seed) and have the same record as the No. 7-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies could still make a push for a higher seed if they close the season strong, as they are just two games back in the standings of the No. 3-seeded Denver Nuggets.

Morant has appeared in just 47 games for the Grizzlies this season, but they have an impressive record when he’s been in the lineup. Memphis is 29-18 when Morant plays, but it is just 16-14 when he is out of the lineup.

The former No. 2 overall pick is averaging 22.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game this season while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Morant and the Grizzlies will be back in action on Saturday, April 5 against the Detroit Pistons.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

Julius Randle calls Anthony Edwards’ confidence in himself ‘Kobe-like’

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards oozes supreme confidence on the offensive side of the ball.…

2 days ago

Russell Westbrook’s wife accuses ESPN reporter of spreading ‘lies’ about him: ‘Dirty work’

On Tuesday, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne came out with a piece on Denver Nuggets guard Russell…

2 days ago

NBA source confirms that Jayson Tatum’s injury involves his Achilles tendon after Game 4 exit

The Boston Celtics blew another big lead in Game 4 of their second-round series against…

3 days ago

2-time Lakers champ jokes that Luka will only be 31 when Mavs trade Cooper Flagg to L.A.

There are a slew of people who think the Dallas Mavericks got fleeced when they…

3 days ago

Report: Mark Cuban was ‘so busy screaming’ that Patrick Dumont wasn’t certain Mavs landed No. 1 pick

The Dallas Mavericks headed into Monday night's draft lottery with a measly 1.8 percent chance…

3 days ago

Report: Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon got into verbal altercation after Game 2 loss in 1st round

One of the more tightly contested playoff series in the first round of the 2025…

3 days ago