The Memphis Grizzlies and the Miami Heat faced each other in a playoff-like game on Thursday. However, the focus was on only one player: Ja Morant. The Grizzlies point guard finished the game with 30 points and hit a spectacular buzzer-beater to ensure his team’s first victory after four games. While he had a fantastic game, he was continuously booed by the Heat fans, following an incident the night before when he made a finger-gun gesture at the Warriors bench- an act that has been a hot topic for debate over the last few days. Despite being let off with just a warning, Morant did not learn his lesson. Why?
Well, the Memphis superstar did the same celebration once again, and everyone knew consequences would follow soon. Sure enough, the NBA universe wasted no time announcing a punishment for Morant’s gesture. While Morant escaped suspension, he was given a hefty five-figure fine after the incident. He will have to pay $75,000 for doing the finger gun celebration the same day he was told that it “could be interpreted in a negative light.” The decision is unsurprising given that Adam Silver has been keeping a close eye on the league’s action, especially that of Ja Morant’s. The league’s commissioner was not pleased with the first incident when Morant waved a firearm in an Instagram live video that led to an eight-game suspension.
However, the Memphis star did not learn his lesson at that time either. He did the same thing again, leading to a more severe 25-game suspension hardly two months later. So, this celebration being looked into might have been something personal after all. Because Insider Damichael Cole thinks if the league was monitoring something they might have taken some action earlier. He revealed that if the NBA wanted to, they would’ve raised this issue at the start of the season. “If the league had seen an issue with the celebration, that’s my point, they would have reached out in January, they would have reached out in February, they would have reached out in previous national televised games where he’s made three-pointers and did the same celebration,” Cole said on the show.
“If you go around the league, this is not just a celebration Ja Morant is doing. This isn’t just a celebration that the Grizzlies players are doing. It’s one that’s league-wide, sort of, in a way.”
– @DamichaelC on Ja Morant’s finger-gun gesture celebration pic.twitter.com/MIcBwFFq8A
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) April 4, 2025
However, that hasn’t been the case, so the situation coming to light only after the Warriors game might have been a result of people reaching out to the league. While the league did their due diligence the Commissioner has been highly active in this entire proceeding. “So, I do think with the commissioner, he needs to be proactive with this and with some other situations that have been similar with players around the league. But at the same time, he’s been sort of reactive all throughout this time with Ja going back to March of 2023.” He added. The actions on Ja Morant’s behalf are questionable. But if the league’s taking action against the Memphis point guard they should also monitor other incidents in the same light as well. Moreover, has Morant learned from his mistake?
Ja Morant takes no responsibility for his actions amid a $75,000 fine
Despite being let off by the league after his actions during the Warriors game, Ja Morant repeated his finger gun celebration against the Heat. Soon, he was handed a massive $75,000 fine for overlooking the league’s warning. This isn’t Morant’s first interaction with the league, and by the looks of his actions, it will certainly not be the last. This decision has split the fans and media alike. A few people agree with the league and its decision to fine the Grizzlies star. Meanwhile, others think the league might be blowing this way out of proportion. That’s because a lot of players have done a similar celebration.
Mar 12, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (12) celebrates a game-ending three-point make in the fourth quarter of the game at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, journalist Damichael Cole thinks the league is being inconsistent, and this is something Morant has been doing since the start of the season. “The number 1 thing, kinda peeling the curtain back here is, this isn’t anything new actually. This is a celebration that Ja Morant and several of his teammates have done over the course of this season. So, when you talk about Ja Morant being the victim here, I think that is the feeling internally.” Cole said on the “Dan Patrick Show.” Well, that’s a valid argument. Morant has been doing the celebration for quite some time now so the reaction should’ve come sooner. That’s the reason why Ja Morant and his teammates think that they are the victims in this scenario.
The celebration is something we’ve seen not just in basketball but in other sports as well. So, the only reason for the league putting this under the microscope could be Morant’s history with firearms. He’s already served two suspensions due to the same, and that is the reason why Adam Silver and the league are taking this so seriously. However, it seems Ja Morant is still not ready to take any responsibility, and his actions during the Heat game made it clear. Despite his previous record, it still feels somewhat harsh on the Grizzlies’ point guard. Whether or not he will stop after this ban remains to be seen as the Grizzlies head to Detroit for their next matchup. No question, all eyes will be on Ja Morant!
The post Adam Silver’s True Feelings About Ja Morant’s Behavior Revealed as Grizzlies Star Accepts No Responsibility Amid Five-Figure Fine appeared first on EssentiallySports.
