Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was fined $75,000 by the NBA on Friday after “twice making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court,” the league announced.
Morant’s “inappropriate gesture” was a finger-gun taunt. He used the gesture twice during the Grizzlies’ 110-108 win over the Miami Heat, per the league’s release.
The Grizzlies star performed the gesture following his first basket of the game. He later repeated the gesture in the third quarter. It was quite an eventful game for Morant, who hit a buzzer-beater with :00.1 seconds left to give the Grizzlies the narrow win. He finished Thursday’s game with 30 points.
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Morant initially drew the ire of the NBA following Tuesday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Near the end of the contest, Morant did a finger-gun gesture toward the Warriors’ bench. He and Warriors guard Buddy Hield were charged with technical fouls due to the taunt. Hield imitated the gesture back at Morant, which led to both players receiving technical fouls.
On Wednesday, it was reported the NBA warned Hield and Morant, telling them not to use the gesture again. The league confirmed Friday it warned Morant against using the gesture, saying it “could be interpreted in a negative light.”
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Morant wasted no time ignoring the league’s directive, breaking out the taunt after his first basket of the night.
Following Thursday’s contest, Morant was asked about receiving criticism as a result of the gestures. He responded by saying he was familiar playing the role of the villain, per the Associated Press.
“I’m kind of used to it,” Morant said. “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. So, yeah. I don’t care no more.”
The league will likely hold Morant to a higher standard on the issue considering his previous run-ins with the commissioner’s office and history with guns. Morant was suspended twice by the league in 2023 for two gun-related incidents. Morant flashed a gun two different times on two separate Instagram live videos a few months apart. After the first video, Morant received an eight-game suspension. The league handed Morant a 25-game suspension after the second video emerged.
