Ja Morant is being investigated for using the finger gun gesture on the court during Tuesday night’s game. Fans are speculating that his previous suspensions based on gun-related charges may have contributed to singling him out. However, Stephen A. Smith, who has been in the news over his beef with LeBron James, thinks the NBA may have done too much in investigating the basketball star. He shared his opinion on X, maintaining that Ja Morant didn’t mean anything with the finger gun gesture.
Stephen A. Smith Defends Ja Morant
Ja Morant ran into trouble with the NBA on Tuesday night after he made a finger-gun gesture while playing. In the footage Onsite posted, he gestured toward the Warriors bench during the game. Afterward, ESPN stablemate Shams Charania reported on X that the association was investigating the incident. “The NBA is looking into Memphis’ Ja Morant using finger gun motions toward the Golden State Warriors bench last night, sources tell me and @espn_macmahon,” he wrote.
Stephen A. Smith, who is never scared to express his thoughts, reacted once he caught wind of the situation. He defended Ja Morant and asserted that the NBA was unnecessarily blowing up the finger gun gesture. “Come on @NBA — and the rest of us. Totally unnecessary. Let @JaMorant play in peace. Let’s not look for things. The playoffs are about to begin. Let’s enjoy the games. Morant didn’t do anything flagrant. Folks are reaching now,” The ESPN analyst wrote, per Onsite. The Grizzlies lost to the Golden State Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, 134-125.
Ja Morant’s Previous Gun-Related Offences
While Ja Morant isn’t the first person to make the finger gun gesture, his previous history likely aggravated the situation. He has been suspended twice during his career for brandishing guns online. He received the first punishment, an eight-game suspension for flashing his gun during an Instagram Live. The second time, he got a 25-game suspension for brandishing the weapon in his car. It remains to be seen how this latest investigation will impact him.
The Grizzlies’ attempt to make the playoffs could be impacted if Ja Morant is suspended for the finger gun gesture. They are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth place in the Western Conference. The team is half a game behind the Warriors, who are in fifth place and half ahead of the LA Clippers. Thus, Morant’s suspension could throw them off the curve depending on if he gets one and how long it lasts. Meanwhile, Charania also noted on X that Buddy Hield is being investigated for the same gesture.
Fans React To News Of The NBA’s Investigation
Fans have sided with Ja Morant after learning about the finger gun gesture investigation. They shared clips of other players who gestured likewise, including one of Dyson Daniels, who aimed at the Pelicans bench after a 3-pointer. Another person shared a clip of LeBron James pretending to fire a gun into the air and reloading it. He was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time. Meanwhile, other fans reacted on Onsite’s page and asked why the NBA targeted Ja Morant alone for the gesture.
“Didn’t multiple people do that same gesture? Why are they focused on him?” someone asked. A second person said, “They been making gun gestures n the nba for years now yall def reaching.” Another fan remarked, “That’s nothing. Just a gesture for making a shot. People gotta get out their own ass.” Ja Morant also reacted on X to the news of the investigation over his gesture. “ja this .. ja that ..” The Memphis Grizzlies star wrote on Wednesday, April 2.
Ja Morant and his fans can only await the outcome of the investigation on his finger gun gesture. Hopefully, Stephen A. Smith’s message will count for something and give him a chance to evade another suspension.
#Clique, do you think the NBA should be investigating Ja Morant over his finger gun gesture? Let us know in the comments.
