Warriors guard Buddy Hield is being investigated by the NBA after a late-game exchange with Grizzlies star Ja Morant featuring gestures mimicking guns during Golden State’s 134-125 victory in Memphis on Tuesday night.
Morant’s actions are also being probed.
The Athletic and ESPN first reported the news. The NBA has not announced an investigation, and a league spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday afternoon.
The NBA typically allows players to play during investigations of this nature. The Warriors play the Lakers Thursday night in Los Angeles.
During a timeout with 20.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, 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 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.
This is the latest in a series of firearm-related incidents for Morant.
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He was suspended for eight games for showing a gun during an Instagram Live stream in March 2023, and was again suspended for 25 more games after he was seen holding up a firearm on a friend’s Instagram Live.
Hield has played in all 75 games this season and has averaged 11.3 points per game as a high-volume shooter 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 the free-falling Grizzlies (44-32) and seventh-seeded Minnesota (44-32) in the West standings.
