Warriors’ Hield, Grizzlies’ Morant receive warnings for gun-related gesture: report

Warriors guard Buddy Hield will reportedly not receive any punishment from the NBA after being investigated by the league for a late-game exchange with Grizzlies star Ja Morant featuring gestures mimicking guns during Golden State’s victory in Memphis on Tuesday night.

On Thursday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the league issued warnings to both Hield and Memphis’ Ja Morant.

“League ruled the celebrations were not intended to be violent in nature, but inappropriate and should refrain,” Charania wrote on the social media platform X. 

The Warriors wrap up a six-game road trip on Thursday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

The NBA did not announce the investigation, and a league spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday afternoon.

During a timeout with 20.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the game in Memphis, Hield was seen using his hands as if he was brandishing a rifle in Morant’s direction while standing in the Warriors’ bench area during a free-throw break.

Morant, who has twice been suspended for gun offenses, appeared to make a similar gesture toward the Warriors’ bench as the Grizzlies were walking off the court toward their bench.

Both players were issued technical fouls.

Hield has played in all 75 games this season and has averaged 11.3 points per game as a scorer off the bench.

The Warriors (44-31) are the fifth seed after their third win in a row, now a half-game in front of sixth-seeded Minnesota (44-32) and the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Clippers (44-32) in the West standings.