“I’ll find another one” Ja Morant will keep creativity alive if NBA clamps down on grenade celebration

Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant is trending after he enacted his grenade celebration in the past few games.

“I’ll find another one” Ja Morant will keep creativity alive if NBA clamps down on grenade celebration

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant now has guns and grenades as his celebrations

The NBA has again taken a keen interest into Ja Morant. This time, it has nothing to do with real guns. Rather, the Memphis Grizzlies superstar has brought various weapons into his in-game celebrations. Those gestures are not something the league appreciates.

That is why they issued a warning the first time he enacted his finger guns celebration. But the 25-year-old did not seem to care and brought out that celebration again. This time the NBA decided to slap a $75K fine.

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The Grizzlies are paying Morant over $36 million this season. But even then, a $75K fine will impact his finances. That led him to try out a different celebration, this time, throwing a grenade into the crowd and clutching his ears to suggest it exploded.

This celebration quickly went viral and even Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki seemed to have fun enacting it while at the Luka Doncic revenge game. However, everyone knows the league is watching and that led reporters to ask Morant at Thursday’s shootaround if he was worried about another fine.

That’s my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I’ll find another one.

Ja Morant said

This statement seemingly confirms that the superstar will dip into his creative side to bring out further celebrations involving weapons. He knows the league might step in at some point. But now the grenade celebration has become viral, and how the league maneuvers around it will decide if this continues.

Grenade celebration reaches AAU basketball

The finger guns celebration died down the moment the NBA slapped Ja Morant with that fine. But the grenade celebration continues and now has caught on in other basketball leagues. This time, a team plying their trade in AAU basketball collectively enacted the grenade throwing scenario during a game.

A player scored a three-pointer and then gestured to take the pin out of a grenade and threw it into the stands. He and his teammates then covered their ears, depicting how they would need to save their ears from the noise when the grenade explodes.

If this starts to become a trend, the NBA might have to make a difficult decision. On one hand, one of their players becoming trendy enough that legends and fans start to enact it will help improve ratings. On the other hand, the gesture does playfully insinuate violence.

Ja Morant’s grenades not helping with wins

The first time Ja Morant gestured the grenade celebration, it was against the Charlotte Hornets on April 8th. The Hornets are one of the league’s worst teams, therefore a win was a foregone conclusion. But then, the Memphis Grizzlies lost their next game to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He brought out that celebration in this game too, and former champion Kendrick Perkins noted that Morant would need more than a grenade to help his team win. The Timberwolves thumped the Grizzlies at home. More importantly, it was a huge blow to their playoff chances.

Today they faced the Denver Nuggets, and the superstar again brought out the grenade. For much of the game, they held the lead. But in the final few minutes, the Nuggets staged a rally to which the Grizzlies did not have an answer.

That loss and along with a win for the Golden State Warriors, meant that the Memphis Grizzlies are locked in on a play in spot. They once reached the top of the West, therefore, if anything, Morant’s grenades are not helping.