Ja Morant and Buddy Hield have recently received warnings for their use of the finger gun celebration during a game, but they won’t face any further penalties or fines. This was confirmed by NBC Sports, with Shams Charania initially breaking the news.
It’s quite possible, though, that the NBA might address this issue more formally in the offseason, potentially creating a rule to ban this specific gesture. During a recent game where Morant’s team faced off against Golden State, Morant himself used the finger gun celebration multiple times. In a playful response, Buddy Hield of the Warriors mimicked the gesture back at Morant when the Warriors gained control of the match.
The league’s conclusion was that, while the gestures were inappropriate, they weren’t meant to convey any real threat or violence. Thus, a warning sufficed for both teams and players involved.
As Desmond Bane, Morant’s teammate, pointed out, this issue presents a challenge for the NBA. Numerous players have been doing variations of the finger gun celebration for years. So, when does the NBA decide enough is enough? Although there’s no specific rule against this gesture yet, the league has a history of fining players for other inappropriate gestures like the throat-slicing motion or the “big balls” celebration. As such, this topic is bound to resurface in the offseason.
This particular finger gun gesture gained extra attention mainly due to Morant’s previous incidents. Near the end of the 2022-23 season, he was suspended for eight games after displaying a gun during an Instagram Live session from a strip club in Colorado. Similarly, he started the following season with a 25-game suspension when he was again seen with a gun on Instagram Live, this time in a friend’s car. These past actions have added layers to the conversation surrounding his recent behavior on the court.
