Ja Morant’s grenade celebration is here to stay, but Grizzlies star says he will adjust if NBA intervenes

Ja Morant introduced a new celebration earlier this week after receiving a $75,000 fine for using finger-gun gestures twice during the Memphis Grizzlies’ 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat last week. The celebration involves Morant mimicking the act of throwing a grenade after hitting a 3-pointer and covering his ears.

Morant repeated the celebration numerous times during the Grizzlies’ 124-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, and again in their 141-125 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.

Before the loss, Morant stated that the celebration would remain unless the league orders him to stop.

“That’s my celebration now unless someone else has an issue with it, and I’ll come up with another one,” Morant explained.

It remains to be seen if the league will step in again to stop Morant’s new celebration. He has been involved in multiple controversies over the past few years. Morant was suspended for 25 games during the 2023-24 season after posting a video on social media of himself holding a gun in a car. He was also suspended for eight games after being filmed holding a gun at a Denver nightclub.

Additionally, Morant was involved in a civil lawsuit in 2023 after allegedly punching a teenager at his home during a pickup basketball game. Morant claimed he acted in self-defense after the teenager threw a basketball that hit him in the face. The lawsuit is still ongoing.

Regarding his recent fine, Morant wasn’t caught off guard.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Morant said. “Just showing people what’s pretty much been clear for the last two years.”