"Does he have permit for that finger gun?" - NBA fans hilariously confuse Ja Morant's 3-point shot celebration as gunshot gesture  

Ja Morant watched Wednesday's game between the LA Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies from the sidelines. The two-time NBA All-Star is dealing with a hip subluxation and pelvic muscle strains, which he suffered the previous time Memphis played the Lakers on Nov. 6.

However, Morant still managed to be in the limelight. During the third quarter of the game, he celebrated a made 3-pointer on the bench. It looked identical to a gunshot celebration. It's a common way for players to acknowledge a 3.

But knowing Morant's controversial history of flashing guns on Instagram Live twice and getting suspended for it left fans confused. Many thought he was doing a gunshot celebration, with some fans hilariously reacting to the incident.

One fan joked :

"Does he have a permit for that finger gun???"

"@NBA @NBAOfficial eget on top of this asap," said another.

"Bruh can’t help it," one fan joked.

"Shi was funny bruh lmaoo," one fan added.

"Bro 12 gotta chill," another fan said.

"He is not going to make it through the season hahah," one fan said.

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Ja Morant's New Orleans Dance celebration also created confusion among fans

It isn't the first time fans thought Ja Morant was doing a gunshot celebration. The Memphis Grizzlies star faced scrutiny last year when he returned from a 25-game suspension for flashing a gun on Instagram Live in May. During a Dec. 26, 2023 matchup in New Orleans against the Pelicans, Morant celebrated an alley-oop while doing the "New Orleans Dance."

Similar reactions followed back then as fans thought Morant was trolling his suspension.

Reactions to Morant's "New Orleans Dance"

However, Morant cleared the air about it with a tweet that explained his gesture.

"you gotta rock ya hips," Morant tweeted.

Ja Morant named the song that he was dancing to and the steps that originated from it, making it the "New Orleans Dance."

Former LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers had also used this celebration during a college game on Nov. 4, 2023, against Alabama.

Morant had just come back and was enjoying his return after leading the Grizzlies to a four-game winning streak. They won that game against New Orleans 116-115 in overtime, with Morant dropping 31 points, four rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.