Ja Morant risked further disciplinary action from the NBA after repeating a gun-mimicking celebration during Thursday’s 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat, just hours after receiving a league warning for a similar gesture.
Morant made the gesture with his hands, right arm fully extended and left hand in a gun pose, after hitting a 25-foot three-pointer with 7:51 remaining in the first quarter. The celebration came despite sources telling ESPN’s Shams Charania earlier Thursday that both Morant and Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield had been warned by the NBA for similar gestures during Tuesday’s Grizzlies-Warriors game.
According to sources, the NBA had ruled that while the earlier celebrations were not intended to be violent in nature, they were inappropriate. Both teams were also issued warnings following Tuesday’s incident, when officials assessed double technical fouls to Morant and Hield. No technical foul was issued to Morant for Thursday’s gesture.
The incident is particularly concerning given Morant’s disciplinary history. Morant has twice been suspended by the NBA for brandishing actual firearms on social media. Morant was first suspended for eight games in March 2023 after an Instagram live stream from a Denver nightclub, and then for 25 games to begin the 23-24 season after another firearm incident on social media in May 2023.
Morant, who hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer against the Heat, now faces potential additional discipline from the league for disregarding the warning issued earlier in the week.
