Ja Morant had every reason to be proud of himself on Tuesday night but he acted in a way that is receiving a lot of criticism.
After an impressive dunk, Morant celebrated by seemingly making hand gestures that resembled him firing a gun.
He did this in a happy, exuberant, and harmless way but it still has some people shaking their heads.
Chandler Parsons was one of those people.
“What else has to happen for you, and your family and your friends, to learn? Make this about basketball, make this about your life, make this about your livelihood, and stop doing things like this,” Parsons said on “Run It Back,” via NBACentral.
Chandler Parsons calls out Ja Morant after last night’s celebration
“What else has to happen for you, and your family and your friends, to learn? Make this about basketball, make this about your life, make this about your livelihood, and stop doing things like this.”
(Via… pic.twitter.com/khd4Jioo6j
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 27, 2023
Some people suggested that Morant was simply celebrating as LSU players do and he was just mimicking that team because he was playing against the New Orleans Pelicans.
But even if he was, Morant needs to be aware that the entire league is watching closely and everything he does will be under a microscope for the foreseeable future.
He would be wise to avoid any sort of gestures that could be misconstrued as anything related to guns.
The Grizzlies have been on a terrific run since Morant returned and have now won four games in a row.
During those four games, Morant has averaged 28.8 points and 8.5 assists and has shown fans why he’s such a vital part of this team.
Of course, those fans are still worried that the star player could do something to again compromise his future and the success of the team.
Parsons and others are hoping that Morant continues to monitor himself and make good on his promise of not repeating the same mistakes again.
NEXT: Ja Morant Has Clear Reaction To Grizzlies' 2-0 Run