Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who was recently fined $75,000 for using a finger gun gesture to celebrate a made basket, has changed his celebration to a grenade-throwing motion, which he demonstrated during the team’s 141-125 Thursday night loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This marks the second consecutive game Morant has used the imaginary grenade gesture. He first used this celebration on April 8th, in the Grizzlies’ 124-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
“Listen, it’s not what you think it is. I’m taking my words, and I’m throwing them out there,” Morant said. “I’m speaking Ja. I’m being Ja. I’m going to take my words, I’m going to throw them out there, and then I’m going to block out the noise. And that’s what I’m doing. So when you see me do that, that’s what I’m doing. I’m saying what I got to say to the world, and I’m blocking out the noise in the midst of what’s coming back my way. And that’s how it’s going to be.”
Ja Morant grenade celebration is here to stay🔥 pic.twitter.com/hpIi0vhCzk
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) April 11, 2025
Regardless of what Morant says his celebration is, it doesn’t sound like he will be making any changes unless he is told to.
“That’s my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I’ll find another one,” he told the Associated Press after the team’s shootaround on Thursday.
“It’s good for him,” added Grizzlies teammate Vincent Williams Jr. “He gets to save his money. Anything that benefits him saving his money, I’m all for it, honestly.”
Not everybody was as supportive as Williams. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley criticized the celebration, saying that former Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins – who was fired on March 28th – should be “happy” right now because he doesn’t “have to deal with this crap.”
Meanwhile, fellow Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal sounded like he admired Morant’s celebration choice.
“I like that celebration,” Shaq said during halftime of last night’s game. “He knows what he’s doing because y’all are going to keep talking about it.”
Ja Morant’s generational run continues 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/OkHRBiyFB4
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) April 11, 2025
Two-time NBA champion Kenny “The Jet” Smith was not nearly as thrilled as Shaq, though.
“He has a history that maybe he should leave the celebrations where people might die alone,” he said.
As of this writing, the Memphis Grizzlies currently hold the seventh seed in the NBA’s Western Conference. If the season were to end today, they would play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
