Ja Morant's New 'Hand Grenade' Celebration Draws Criticism from Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant finds himself in the limelight yet again following the display of his new "hand grenade" celebration. As Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley react to the guard's news antics, they criticized him for his reckless behavior as well.

Morant's new celebration became a bit of a talking point on Inside the NBA's Halftime Report.

"He has a history that maybe he should leave the celebrations where people might die alone," said Kenny, reacting to a clip of the Memphis guard walking back down the court after shooting a three.

As Shaquille O'Neal was describing the celebration, Charles Barkley chimed in, "I know one person's happy right now. Taylor Jenkins ain't got to deal with this crap. He's going to get another job he deserves, he doesn't have to deal with all this immature stuff."

Ja Morant has often found himself in a patch of trouble concerning his behavior and irrational gestures on and off the court. 

In response to the recent fine he received for making "gun gestures" at the Golden State Warriors' bench after the game, Morant found a way to circumvent the issue by developing a new kind of celebration. This hasn't been received favorably, either.

The Grizzlies guard has had a history of immature behavior that has cost his team in many ways. His actions off the court have resulted in suspensions that have had a largely negative impact on Memphis and their hopes of competing for a title.

This season has been largely different, however. Although the guard has missed a good chunk of the season, he does impact the team's ability to win overall. With an average of 23.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, Morant is a bona fide superstar and leader.

Unfortunately, Memphis is far from being in a favorable position in the West. Although Morant and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards duked it out against each other in the previous game, the Grizzlies will be reeling from the 125-141 loss. With only two games left in the season, Memphis will attempt to fight for the lucrative sixth spot, currently held by the Golden State Warriors.

Since firing Taylor Jenkins, the Memphis Grizzlies haven't seen any drastic changes in their overall performance. However, the loss of an experienced playoff coach will certainly pose a challenge if they are to make a run in the postseason.

Their future will be decided soon as they face off against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the road on Friday at 9 pm ET. With only one game separating them, both teams will look to their stars to shine in this matchup to decide the final spots in the West.