Ja Morant’s new grenade celebration draws ire of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith

Ja Morant’s manus grenade ceremony didn’t beryllium good pinch Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith during nan Grizzles-Timberwolves crippled Thursday.

The Memphis defender adopted nan on-court motion aft he was fined  $75,000 by nan NBA past Friday for his erstwhile digit guns celebration.

After hitting a 3-pointer successful first quarter, Morant celebrated by gesturing a grenade flip and mimicked nan process of pulling a pin from an explosive limb earlier while looking up astatine nan crowd astatine FedExForum successful Memphis during nan 141-125 nonaccomplishment to nan Timberwolves.

While discussing nan crippled during TNT’s “Inside nan NBA” halftime show, Barkley seemed disgusted while Smith sent a connection to 25-year-old Morant.

“He has a history that possibly he shouldn’t beryllium doing … time off nan celebrations wherever group mightiness dice alone,” Smith said, referring to Morant being suspended doubly for brandishing firearms successful societal media videos.

Barkley brought up former Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins, who was shockingly fired past month, conscionable 9 games earlier nan playoffs were group to begin.

“I cognize 1 person’s happy correct now … Taylor Jenkins ain’t sewage to woody pinch this crap,” Barkley said.

Jenkins, who signed a multi-year hold pinch Memphis successful 2022, had been pinch nan squad since 2019 and was nan Grizzlies’ winningest coach.

“He knows what he’s doing, because y’all gonna support talking astir it,” Shaquille O’Neal added. “Pull that pin.”

Morant, who is Memphis’ starring scorer, covered his ears aft pretending to flip it.

“That’s my ceremony now until personification other has a problem pinch it, and I’ll find different one,” Morant said aft Thursday’s shootaround.

Morant debuted his grenade celebration during nan Grizzles’ 124-100 triumph complete nan Hornets connected Tuesday.

The two-time All-Star made headlines aft he mimicked an imaginary weapon aft making 3-pointers during contests against nan Heat and Warriors.

Morant was fined for repeating nan motion aft he received a informing from nan league, which called it “inappropriate” and “a motion that could beryllium interpreted successful a antagonistic light.”

Morant isn’t nan only NBA subordinate that utilized digit weapon celebrations, though.

In 2023, Morant was suspended doubly for 2 abstracted incidents pinch existent guns.

The first punishment was an eight-game prohibition for appearing successful a unrecorded watercourse video successful which he displayed a firearm while successful intoxicated astatine a Denver-area nightclub.

The 2nd was a 25-game prohibition aft Morant posed pinch a firearm successful a car during different unrecorded watercourse video.

A Western Conference showdown betwixt nan No. 7 Grizzlies (47-33) and nan No. 4 Nuggets (48-32), who fired their caput coach Michael Malone this week, is taking spot Friday successful Denver.

Both teams are fighting for playoffs positions, pinch six teams having betwixt 31-33 losses.