Ja Morant is being dragged on social media for yet another alleged offense involving gunplay. Though, this time, the incident was less of a potential threat but more of a display of poor sportsmanship.
Tuesday night, the Memphis Grizzlies went head-to-head with the Golden State Warriors and lost by just nine points. Fans called out Morant for pointing finger guns toward the Warriors bench while crossing the court during a timeout. On the other hand, Warriors player Buddy Hield was accused of doing the same toward the Grizzlies players moments before Morant was caught. Both players received technical fouls for the gestures, per the DailyMail.
However, things seemed to blow up even more than a petty foul. The NBA says they’re investigating Morant’s gun gestures, per ESPN. Social media users dragged the player for his conduct, citing it as another reason to suspend him.
“Given everything that’s happened with Ja, and the suspensions he’s already served, AND the money he’s lost... Ja is a GOD tier clown for doing this,” wrote one X user.
On the other hand, some users slammed the NBA for making a big deal out of behavior commonly seen on the court by other notable basketball players including LeBron James.
“Come on @NBA — and the rest of us. Totally unnecessary. Let @JaMorant play in peace. Let’s not look for things. The playoffs are about to begin. Let’s enjoy the games. Morant didn’t do anything flagrant. Folks are reaching now,” wrote sports commentator Stephen A. Smith.
“A gun celebration was never a problem in the NBA until Ja Morant did it,” wrote an NBA meme page.
The heat on Morant stems from his record of being suspended from 33 games for real gunplay. He was accused of brandishing a firearm in an Instagram Live video as well as brandishing one at a strip club.
It’s unclear at the moment if Morant will face any punishment as a result of Tuesday’s incident. Though, he doesn’t seem to be shaken by the fuss.
“Ja this... Ja that...” the player posted to X with a laughing emoji.