"Racism will always exist": NBA fans accuse Barstool of double standards over coverage of Quinn Ewers and Ja Morant's 'New Orleans Dance'

Ja Morant’s return from a 25-game suspension has been sensational. The Memphis Grizzlies have regained their identity as one of the NBA’s most exciting teams to watch with “G12” in the lineup. Morant is showing basketball fans what they have missed.

The athletic guard, however, seems to be unable to shake off controversy, with his celebration in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans making headlines. Morant looked like he was shooting an imaginary gun for a brief moment.

Morant, however, clarified that his dance was what LSU football players often do. Since they were playing in New Orleans, he thought that people understood what he was doing. Some, however, blasted him for it. Barstool Sports captioned Morant’s celebration “Ja spraying imaginary bullets into section 113 after the slam.”

Recently, Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers broke out his version of the celebration. Barstool Sports headlined it with: “Quinn Ewers is having fun.”

The glaring difference in how the two were treated by the same site had fans fuming on Twitter/X:

“But Ja is a thug? Racism will always exist in this country”

Recently, Minnesota Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson was also fined by the NFL for loading an imaginary gun while celebrating. It’s not ascertained yet if Ewers will get disciplined for his celebration in front of thousands of fans.

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Memphis Grizzlies will find it difficult to make the play-in tournament even with Ja Morant available

The Memphis Grizzlies had a four-game winning streak in Ja Morant’s first few games with the team. After a thrilling 116-115 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 26, the Grizzlies are now in a three-game slide.

The Grizzlies’ loss brought their record down to 10-22 for 13th in the Western Conference. Memphis is now playing with more energy and looking like a team that could make the playoffs. Morant’s 25-game suspension and injuries to key players, however, may have created a hole too big for the team to get out of.

The Memphis Grizzlies are trailing the Golden State Warriors (15-17) and the Utah Jazz (15-19) in the standings. To get the 10th spot, they will also have to overtake LeBron James and the LA Lakers (17-17).

Ja Morant’s return has re-energized the Memphis Grizzlies. They will give it everything they have to make the play-in tournament. The problem is they may be at too much of a disadvantage already.