The NBA made a statement on April 4th that Ja Morant isn't allowed to make a certain gesture during a basketball game. Following the Grizzlies' loss to the Golden State Warriors on April 1st, a video went viral of Golden State's Buddy Hield and Ja Morant pointing handgun gestures toward each other.
The overall purpose of the gesture can be questioned as Ja Morant and others around the league have used the same gesture after making three-point shots all season. The shape of the gesture could be interpreted as a three for the three-point shot, as the number of fingers pointed is three.
However, the case of Ja Morant has obviously deviated from others as he was the only player for his actions last night when others did the same celebration.
Ja Morant is in a class by himself
While Ja Morant being told to refrain from using the celebration makes sense because of his past suspensions due to guns, the ruling makes no sense. First, this is a celebration he has used all season long, not just this week.
The uproar came when he and Buddy Hield pointed the gesture at each other rather than at the crowd or towards their own teammates as Ja did last night. Not only did Ja make the gesture but his teammates made it back towards him.
Following the Grizzlies' buzzer-beating victory over the Miami Heat saw the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers players make the same gestures throughout the entirety of their game. However, there was only one player fined for the actions that occurred around the league.
The NBA has made a bold statement by targeting one player and it is shaping up to be a huge issue for the league's image as a whole. While Ja Morant's past issues are documented, the celebration isn't anything new from him or the entire league.
If the celebration is a problem then it needs to be banned all around. Fining one player sends a bad message that only one player performing such a celebration is a problem in a league that has always allowed the particular gesture.
Meanwhile, Ja Morant now has a choice or either continue to collect fines and face a possible suspension to keep making the gestures as a statement, or stop it altogether and ensure he is there for his team and keeping money in his pocket.
Fair or not, the NBA has made its decision, and the Grizzlies' superstar will have to tread lightly if he and the team want to continue pursuing their goals for the season.