The former Warriors’ focus was understandably split on the night Stephen Curry dropped 52 points. After all, it was also his son’s debut game at the McDonald’s All-American tournament, where he seems to be making a name for himself as well. By now, he has caught wind of the controversial highlight of the Grizzlies vs. Warriors matchup. Ja Morant made a finger-g-n gesture at the Warriors’ bench. That has become a talking point now, given his past actions. Having seemingly defended Ja Morant before, Agent Zero has something to say again. This time, the basketball champ was clear on his stance.
During his live stream, he jokingly called out the Grizzlies superstar to drop this gesture. It was just Arenas’ hilarious way of addressing the issue. “Hey Ja, stop this s–- man! You know you can’t do nothing g– related dawg, throw the grenade or something….Blow the whole bench up or something. But with a g–!” he stated jokingly.
“Your a– about to be suspended again you gotta find another way to celebrate but in all fairness you can’t target him because of the past of him getting; you can; but you shouldn’t if you’re gonna ban it, you gotta ban it across the board for everybody,” he added.
Arenas himself has a history. Back in 2009, he admitted to bringing unloaded g— into the Washington Wizards locker room. Javaris Crittenton who also reportedly brought a g– during the incident, was also involved. The NBA suspended Arenas, and the incident did impact his career. While he is able to build a successful career in broadcasting, it’s understandable why he defended Morant.
Even during Morant’s past incident, Arenas had made a controversial comment to defend him. He argued that it was a mistake and that if he were the Grizzlies’ owner, he would have done something different. “If I’m the owner, I’m going to do what every owner does: pretend I don’t see it. Just grow up a little bit faster. You got too much time on your hands. You got to put Ja around somebody who’s been the same way and actually got out of it safely,” he said on his podcast.
With the times that the NBA has fined players for doing things that could tarnish its image is not rare. That being said, the NBA faces increasing pressure to uphold a positive image, especially with its global audience and corporate partnerships. The league’s disciplinary actions are, therefore, not just about punishing individuals but also about protecting its brand.
The latest incident, where both Morant and Golden State Warriors player Buddy Hield got technical fouls for making the gesture, continues to gain traction. Even former NBA player Lou Williams also shared his take.
Lou Williams says two players must refrain doing the g– gesture
While doing so, Williams also unnecessarily dragged Arenas into the conversation. On FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show, the former NBA player said,“It’s two guys that just can’t do g– celebrations no more. Ja Morant and Gilbert Arenas. Just stay away from it. But like I said, it’s not a big deal. I won’t blow it out of proportion.” Williams said.
Well, there is no rule that bans players from making the g-n gesture. However, the league has a history of penalizing players for on-court behavior that it viewed as inappropriate. And as said before the Memphis Grizzlies star’s gesture is receiving more attention due to his previous incidents.
In March 2023, the 2x NBA All-Star was suspended for eight games after displaying a firearm during an Instagram Live. A second incident later led to a 25-game suspension. The NBA has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident as fans and veterans continue to analyze it from their own perspectives.
The culture of the NBA has shifted, especially in the era of social media. Player expression is more prevalent, and the lines of what is acceptable have become more blurred. This has put increased pressure on the NBA to manage player conduct. The way that fans and media view these gestures has also shifted throughout the years.
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