"Folks are reaching" - Stephen A. Smith defends Ja Morant amid investigation for controversial gesture

On Wednesday, news broke that the NBA was investigating Grizzlies star Ja Morant for a gesture he made toward the Golden State Warriors bench. While Morant has previously been suspended twice for firearm-related issues, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believed that an investigation leading up to the playoffs is unnecessary.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Smith responded to fellow ESPN stablemate Shams Charania's report that the NBA was looking into the incident and would be speaking with everyone involved this week:

"Come on @NBA — and the rest of us. Totally unnecessary. Let @JaMorant play in peace. Let’s not look for things. The playoffs are about to begin. Let’s enjoy the games. Morant didn’t do anything flagrant. Folks are reaching now," Stephen A. Smith wrote.

Considering Morant was handed an eight-game suspension and then a subsequent 25-game suspension by the league for brandishing firearms on Instagram Live in the past, depending on how the league's investigation shakes out, Morant could wind up facing a suspension.

With Memphis currently tied for sixth place in the Western Conference with the Minnesota Timberwolves, half a game behind the fifth-place Warriors, and half a game ahead of the LA Clippers, a potential suspension could derail Memphis's hopes of a deep playoff run depending on how long Ja Morant is out.

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Ja Morant reacts to news of an investigation on social media as fans draw attention to other players using gun celebrations in-game

After Tuesday's loss to the Golden State Warriors, Ja Morant took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the news that the NBA was opening an investigation into the gesture he made in the direction of Buddy Hield and the Warriors bench.

In his first social media post since Mar. 27, Morant, who doesn't frequently post on social media, wrote Wednesday:

"ja this .. ja that .."

Around the same time, NBA fans began posting clips of other players throughout the league performing similar celebrations, some of which took place this season.

In one, Dyson Daniels pretends to aim a gun at the Pelicans bench after a 3-pointer. In another from LeBron James's time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James pretends to fire a gun into the air and then reloads it.

Others drew attention to players like former Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah, who used to shoot finger pistols in celebration while running back down the court on defense before eventually deciding to retire the celebration in 2012.

The big question, of course, is whether the league considered Ja Morant's past transgressions when investigating his actions on Tuesday.