Ja Morant makes headlines again for gun-related gestures

On April 3, the score tied 108-108, Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard, holds the ball at the top of the key with less than five seconds in the game. Morant drives into the Miami defender and steps back to make the game winning shot.

Morant was the hero on the court at the end of that game last month — but quickly turned into the villain.

Earlier in the game, he had been using finger guns to celebrate a three-point shot. According to a statement from the NBA, Morant was fined $75,000 “for twice making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court.” This followed a warningfrom the NBA for similar inappropriate gestures in a game versus the Golden State Warriors on April 1.

“It’s stupid and highly demoralizing,” said Justin Wolfe, a DePaul sophomore and programming assistant at DePaul’s Black Cultural Center.After he was punished, Morant told The Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis that he wasn’t surprised by the fine. He now celebratesshots by pretending he’s throwing a grenade.

The controversy over Morant’s behavior began Jan. 29, 2023, when Morant was involved with a group that allegedly “trained a red laser on the (Indiana) Pacers staff from a slow-moving SUV. Morant was reportedly in the SUV,” according to Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports. The alleged incident happened after Morant was involved in a scuffle in the game against the Pacers.

Nearly two months later, Morant was suspended for eight games for flashing a gun in a strip club on social media, according to Brian Bushard of Forbes. Morant admitted to his wrongdoings after the incident and said he would address the problem.

However, in the summer of 2023, the NBA suspended Morant again for 25 games without pay for carrying a gun on anInstagram livestream. Morant’s suspension began immediately and continued through the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season. 

While the NBA has punished Morant, some have criticized the league’s actions toward him.

Tomás Ramírez, a DePaul faculty member of peace, justice and conflict studies, said popular characters in films like “Rambo” and “Commando” have “romanticized gun violence.”

“We can’t deny that we have issues around gun control in this nation,” he said.

But Ramírez also believes that a person’s race plays a role in how guns are perceived. He said there is often a different reaction over a person with lighter skin holding a gun compared to someone with darker skin doing so.

“One is liberating. The other is criminalized,” Ramírez said.

J.J. Reddick, a former NBA player who now coaches the Los Angeles Lakers, was outspoken about the Morant situation during his time as an ESPN analyst. Reddick said he did not agree with Morant’s actions, but he believed that the suspension was too much for someone who did not break a law.

“There’s no consequence for an elected Tennessee official to send out Christmas cards holding AR-15s with his young family,” Reddick said at the time. “And then there’s a shooting in his very district. There’s no consequences to that. So why are we … trying to lay down the hammer on a 23-year-old who didn’t break a law?”

Despite the criticism, the NBA is concerned with their image and how to be a more marketable organization, according to Dan Azzaro, a DePaul professional lecturer for sports communication marketing. He said the NBA’s image is affected by Morant’s actions. 

“The NBA over (the) years has worked to clean up the image,” Azzaro said,referencing public perception that NBA players commonly used drugs and caused other kinds of trouble in the 1970s and ’80s.

He added, though, that from a marketing standpoint, players can only take things so far.

“Everybody can have their personality, but once you step out of that — that’s when the NBA has to put a stop to it,” he said.

Azzaro said sponsors do not want to deal with the trouble Morant causes, whether they sponsor the league or him. “As an advertiser, I don’t need the grief,” he said. “There’s plenty of guys I can give money to.”

While Morant’s actions affect his marketability and the league’s, it also impacts fans.  

Wolfe, the DePaul sophomore, thinks Morant has a responsibility to portray African American culture in a good light.

“People look up to these certain types of people, and for them to flash their guns or do dumb stuff like that, it’s letting down the next generation,” he said.

Wolfe would rather focus on Morant’s athletic ability. “He’s doing stuff I’m dreaming of doing,” he said.

Morant’s new grenade celebration has drawn some criticism from the media, but so far, the NBA has not taken any action as the season comes to an end.