“Grow up man!” Nick Wright livid with Ja Morant after NBA slaps $75K fine for repeated gun celebrations

The NBA slapped Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant with a $75K fine for enacting the gun celebration despite getting a warning.

“Grow up man!” Nick Wright livid with Ja Morant after NBA slaps $75K fine for repeated gun celebrations

Nick Wright slams Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant for repeated gun celebrations

Ja Morant has stoked up controversy after bringing back his finger guns celebrations in back-to-back games. After the first instance, the NBA issued a warning. But the Memphis Grizzlies superstar did not seem to care which led to him bringing out the celebrations again.

After last night’s game against the Miami Heat, this celebration brought back conversations on whether he cared about his image. He has already faced the consequences before and was very close to blowing his career.

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After that, his demeanor suggested he was trying to fix his image and everybody thought he was on the mend. But after noticing this second gun celebration, the NBA decided to step in. They slapped a $75K fine for not adhering to their warnings. This entire situation had FS1’s Nick Wright livid.

I’m so incredibly frustrated by this. Grow up, man! You’re gonna blow it! I don’t care about the gun part, it is the open defiance.

Nick Wright said

This incensed reaction came about after Nick Wright heard Morant’s ‘I’ve been the villain for the last 2 years’ comment. Wright brought up LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant‘s examples as career superstars who have not got into trouble.

Instead of following that blueprint, Wright believes Ja Morant is trying to show a defiant side. But that side is not acceptable in the NBA and therefore, the analyst wants the Grizzlies star to rethink about his life. He has the chance to build generational wealth, but his actions might stop that from happening.

Did NBA make an example out of Ja Morant?

When Ja Morant first brought out his finger guns celebration, it was actually in retaliation to Golden State Warriors star Buddy Hield. In that instance, Hield also received a warning. In the second instance, Morant’s celebration was not provoked. The NBA took the opportunity to issue him a 75K fine.

However, ever since that first celebration garnered headlines, fans have been pointing out how other players have not faced the NBA’s investigation for enacting similar gun related celebrations. That probably led the Memphis Grizzlies superstar to suggest that he was painted a villain.

ESPN’s Jay Williams posted a photo from the Los Angeles Lakers official account which shows rookie Dalton Knecht pointing towards Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon while enacting the same finger guns celebration.

It could be that the league is trying to make an example out of the two-time All-Star. They feel that penalizing him might force other players to avoid using this celebration. But this discourse has also seen fans painting the NBA as a biased league.

Will these incidents impact Ja Morant’s endorsements?

The last time Ja Morant flashed actual guns, he faced the NBA’s wrath. Suspensions were one thing, but on top of that, he lost a lot of respect and admiration. It was reported that Nike would cancel their endorsement deal with him, but they did not go down that road.

Instead, they pulled all his signature shoes from their website when this situation developed. However, his relationship with them continues to this day. It has not been the same with Powerade. The Coca-Cola brand stopped all commercials involving the Memphis Grizzlies star and went quiet.

He does have deals with other brands and none of them have taken a step yet. Considering this was just a gesture, it is unlikely that any of them will take a major decision. That is unless the situation worsens. But that fine should ensure those finger guns do not come out again.