Fire in the hole! Ja Morant is blowing up the NBA. His latest on-court celebration, where he mimes pulling the pin from a g——, tossing it, and bracing for the imaginary boom, has fans, analysts, and even rival players buzzing. It first lit up the court during a game against the Hornets and has since become a fiery signature move, especially after a high-stakes showdown with the Timberwolves.

Ja’s explanation for the celebration? Honestly, it’s kinda wild but also weirdly entertaining. He really tried to justify it like it had some deep meaning, and somehow it worked—kind of. What’s funny is that an NBA veteran actually backed him up. Not like a full-on endorsement, but more like, “Yeah, I see it” Still hilarious that it got that kind of support.

On the Club 520 Podcast, the hosts featuring Jeff Teague stood by Ja, saying on turns, “His explanation for the g—— toss is f—– hilarious bro. It’s one of the best, uh, best I’ve seen though… for sure that was a ghost writer cuz that boy ain’t think of that…. Somebody said Ja, they’re about to fine you $250,000, you better explain your s— smooth bro and he came out with that heat, I f— with it shout out to Ja if that’s what he said that’s elite that was a bar for sure” expressing admiration for the quick witted cover up by Ja Morant, as he has been under fire by the NBA recently for his celebrations. So, what did he actually say?

Ja explained the celebration, “Listen, it’s not what you think it is. I’m taking my words, and I’m throwing them out there. I’m speaking Ja. I’m being Ja…. I’m going to throw them out there, and then I’m going to block out the noise. And that’s what I’m doing….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.” Subtle, smooth, and effective. But what he hadn’t considered was the influence he has.

Now, the ripple effect is real. High school phenom Tounde Yessoufou, a five-star recruit and Baylor commit, brought the g—— celebration to the national stage during the Nike Hoop Summit. After draining a three in the Team USA vs. Team World game, Yessoufou mimicked Morant’s explosive gesture.

Now, why did Ja Morant switch up his celebration? Let me tell you, it is because he had been under immense scrutiny for his previous celebrations, which landed him in deep water. Let’s take a look.

Ja Morant and celebrations, a never-ending story

The g—— toss didn’t just come out of nowhere, it was Ja Morant’s way of staying flashy without catching another fine. After being slapped with a $75,000 penalty for flashing finger-gun gestures during games, the NBA made it clear they weren’t having any more of that. Especially with Ja’s off-court history involving firearms. 

So, instead of toning it down entirely, Ja switched it up. He needed something with the same boom, but without the baggage. That’s when the g—— celebration was born. Pull the pin, toss it, cover your ears like you’re bracing for the blast. “That’s my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it,” Ja said. This was a shot at none other than Adam Silver, who says that Ja’s celebrations can be construed as acts of violence. “And I’ll find another one,” Ja stated, conveying he’ll get creative again and find other ways to stay on top of the celebration game and be as electric without crossing the league’s line.

Funnily enough, the idea actually came from none other than Gilbert Arenas. The former NBA star, known for being unfiltered and brutally honest, had some advice for Ja. “Ja, stop this shit, man. What is wrong with you out here, man? You know you can’t do nothing g– related, dawg. Throw the g—— or something,” Gil said, half-joking, half-serious. And Ja listened.

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Instead of pushing back or getting defensive, he took that advice and ran with it. Literally turning it into one of the coldest celebrations in the league right now. It’s still loud, still confident, but just inside the lines. And the fact that it was born out of discipline, criticism, and a little banter? That just makes it even more iconic.