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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 10: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum on March 10, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
With both of their respective teams approaching the end of the regular season and fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament, Golden State Warriors shooting guard Buddy Hield and Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant can ill-afford to miss any of the squads’ remaining contests.
Despite displaying “inappropriate” gestures during the Grizzlies-Warriors game on Tuesday night and receiving a warning from the NBA, Hield and Morant have escaped any further punishment.
“NBA issued warnings — no further penalties — to Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and Warriors’ Buddy Hield along with both teams for gestures on Tuesday night, sources tell ESPN. League ruled the celebrations were not intended to be violent in nature, but inappropriate and should refrain,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday.
Golden State defeated Memphis 134-125 on Tuesday to improve to 44-31 and currently hold the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings. The Grizzlies, who got a team-high 36 points from Morant in the loss, fell to 44-32 and are in eighth place in the standings, but tied with the sixth-place Minnesota Timberwolves and seventh-place Los Angeles Clippers.
Both teams have clinched a playoff spot, but Memphis would be competing in the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today. The Grizzlies have lost four straight, including the last three following the shocking firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Morant ‘Formed Imaginary Guns’ With Fingers, Buddy Hield Made ‘Similar Gesture’
According to a report by Charania, the Grizzlies’ two-time All-Star “formed imaginary guns with the fingers on both hands” and pointed them toward the Golden State bench with “his left arm fully extended as he walked toward the Grizzlies bench on the other side of the court.” Per Charania, Hield “made a similar gesture from the Warriors bench” during the back-and-forth, which occurred during a timeout with 20.1 seconds left in the contest.
Both players were issued double technical fouls following the gestures.
Morant Under Fire Yet Again For Gun-Related Controversy
At just 25 years old, Morant’s already racked up an impressive list of credentials across his six seasons in the NBA.
On top of his pair of All-Star honors, the Murray State product also has a Rookie of the Year award and Most Improved Player of the Year honor, as well as one second team All-NBA recognition.
Thursday’s warning from the NBA, however, is yet another gun-related controversy surrounding Morant, albeit a less severe one.
The former No. 2 overall pick has been suspended twice by the Association for brandishing a firearm on social media.
The first instance came in March 2023 when Morant was doing an Instagram live stream at a Denver nightclub following a loss to the Nuggets and resulted in an indefinite suspension that lasted eight games. He was also suspended for the first 25 contests of the 2023-24 campaign for conduct detrimental to the league after brandishing a firearm during another Instagram live session on his friend’s account in May 2023.
Morant is clearly one of the top young talents in the Association but still has a lot of maturing to do.