Tonight something very peculiar happened during the game between Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder. Late second quarter, Ja Morant was whistled for his second technical foul For raising two thumbs toward a female fan sitting the front row. The Memphis star was ejected.
The supporter in question is called Lisa, is a big Morant fan who lives in OKC. Therefore, Morant’s gesture was certainly not controversial toward her, but it was misrepresented by one of the referees. Even as he walked off the court, Morant raised his thumb at the fan, then once in the locker room he video-called his father, who was also sitting in the front row, and got “passed” by Lisa. In a brief FaceTime video call, Ja Morant wanted to reassure Lisa: it’s not your fault, but it’s the referees who are poor. A beautiful gesture from the Grizzlies’ point guard.
After the game, referee John Gamble denied that he ejected Morant for the gesture toward the female fan. According to the official, the player allegedly made unflattering comments about the refereeing, a statement to which Morant responded with an unequivocal photo. “Cap”, the meaning of the image, a slang for saying that the referee was actually lying.