Ja Morant Does Grenade Celebration Again After Finger Gun Fine, Defends Gesture

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant isn't ditching his grenade celebration, but he does have an excuse for it.

Morant, who was fined $75,000 for doing finger gun gestures in celebration during a game earlier this month, debuted a new celebratory move during the Grizzlies and Hornets game this week. In the gesture, he pretends to pull a pin with his teeth and throw a grenade while covering his ears. He pulled the move again during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, April 10.

In an appearance on The Gary Parrish Show on Thursday, Grizzlies reporter Michael Wallace said he spoke to Morant and he told him, "I made a decision with everything that has gone on. Everything that I've gone through, to be myself first and foremost. And then secondly, to block out the noise." Wallace added that Morant told him that it's "not what you think it is," and he's not throwing a grenade but "taking my words and... throwing them out there."

"So when you see me do that, that's what I'm doing," Morant said. "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." Wallace said he laughed at Morant's explanation, but the Grizzlies star appeared serious.

As reported by USA Today, Morant was asked about the celebration at Thursday's shootaround. "That's my celebration now until somebody else got a problem with it, and I'll find another one," he said.

On NBA on TNT, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley shared their thoughts on Morant's new 3-pointer celebration. "He has a history that maybe he should leave the celebrations where people might die alone," said Smith, while Barkley added, "I know one person's happy right now. Taylor Jenkins ain't got to deal with this crap."