Ja Morant had used a finger gun gesture toward the Warriors bench on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday he got a formal warning from the league.
Thursday night in Miami, he used it again.
Ja Morant just hit the finger gun celly again after getting investigated yesterday... pic.twitter.com/lDGrGnp2J9
— Carlos (@LFGPads19) April 4, 2025
The NBA came down on Morant Friday with a $75,000 fine "for twice making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court... Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light."
Morant said after the Heat game, "I'm well aware" of the controversy and headlines the gesture was drawing.
"I was pretty much a villain for two years now. Every little thing, if somebody can say something negative about me, it's going to be out there," Morant said. "So, yeah. I don't care no more."
The league now needs to be consistent with this warning and fine, because Morant is not the only player who has used it, multiple players have done so throughout the season.
The gesture drew attention when Morant did it because of his history. Morant was suspended for eight games near the end of the 2022-23 season after he showed off a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club in Colorado. Just a couple of months later, Morant was seen again on Instagram Live with a gun while riding in a friend's car, and this time the league suspended Morant 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season.
