The NBA fined Memphis Grizzlies’ guard Ja Morant $75,000 earlier today for a “finger-gun gesture” he made during their game against the Miami Heat.
The NBA issued a warning to Morant, (along with the Golden State Warriors’ Buddy Hield), earlier this week for making the gesture in the first place. This came after they launched an investigation, in which they deemed the gesture “inappropriate”, but not “violent in nature.”
Morant made the gesture after all three of his made threes, with two being shown on TNT’s national broadast. Per the NBA, “Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.”
The Miami Heat’s six-game win streak was snapped Thursday night after a heartbreaking loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Ja Morant hit a buzzer-beating mid-range shot to hand the Heat their first loss since Mar. 21. However, even with this loss, the Heat secured a spot in the Play-In Tournament after a Bucks win.
During Thursday’s game, former Heat coach and TNT sportscaster Stan Van Gundy criticized Morant’s on-court behavior.
“Ja Morant [is] spending way too much of the night crying, talking about blaming his teammates, blaming the referees,” Van Gundy said. “He simply needs to do a better job taking care of the ball and needs to be a lot more efficient.”
Van Gundy was an assistant coach under Pat Riley from 1995 to 2003. He was promoted after Riley stepped away from the team. Under Van Gundy’s reign from 2003 to 2005, the Heat had a 112-73 record along with playoff appearances in each season. He resigned 21 games into the 2005-06 season, leading to Riley’s coaching return and a Miami Heat championship.
Morant is no stranger to controversy. This season, he has been under NBA review for multiple warnings over his finger gun gestures on the court. Morant has also been suspended twice after promoting violence on social media.
The Grizzlies fired coach Taylor Jenkins last week even with their standing in the Western Conference. Many believe Morant could be available in trade talks this summer with the growing dysfunction in Memphis. The Heat could be a team interested in acquiring the 2019 No. 2 overall pick.
