On January 3, LSU basketball sensation Angel Reese aka “Bayou Barbie,” reposted a controversial tweet on her X account (formerly Twitter).
The tweet featured a comparison between Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers and NBA player Ja Morant, specifically highlighting their similar celebratory gestures.
Quinn Ewers had garnered attention for his touchdown celebration during the Sugar Bowl, where he mimicked a “gun” gesture.
Quinn Ewers is having fun
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 2, 2024
This move was reminiscent of Ja Morant’s controversial celebration during an NBA game on December 26. Morant, after a dunk, extended both arms, mimicking pulling a trigger before moving his hands towards his head.
Ja Morant doing a gun shooting celebration after making the winning basket just after his 25 game suspension for flashing guns on social media was served is so spectacularly dumb, I kind of respect it. pic.twitter.com/CbU5woVeN4
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) December 30, 2023
Surprisingly, Ja Morant faced criticism for his celebration, while Quinn’s similar gesture was deemed celebratory.
Angel Reese brought this comparison to the forefront by reposting the tweet and adding her take, stating, “Lol I’ve seen this before….”
lol i’ve seen this before…. https://t.co/7XZZBdQipp
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) January 2, 2024
Reese’s post subtly included a reference to her past actions.
Back in April, she engaged in a taunt directed at Caitlin Clark, using a ‘you can’t see me’ celebration. This move was notably executed after LSU’s victory in the NCAA championship game, where Reese waved her hand in front of her face, directed it towards Clark, and then pointed at her finger as if predicting a championship ring, while walking towards the Iowa star.
ANGEL REESE TO CAITLIN CLARK 😳 pic.twitter.com/2NY0CEzwJ3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 2, 2023
As per the latest reports, Ja Morant’s gun flash move has a new explanation now.
FYI, what the Grizzlies star did was the “Rock Ya Hips” dance.
On Wednesday, the originator of the “Rock Ya Hips” dance, Subtweet Shawn, shed light on the situation in a video shared with Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The “Rock Ya Hips” dance, a popular dance form in New Orleans, gained prominence through the efforts of influencers Subtweet Shawn and T99zy.
Morant incorporated this dance into his post-dunk celebration on December 26, humorously taunting the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here’s a video that Subtweet Shawn, who is one of the creators of the “Rock Ya Hips” dance, sent to me. This was after Ja Morant did the dance during Tuesday’s win against the Pelicans. https://t.co/p4dHTV6OJ1 pic.twitter.com/YZOi2OZIdg
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) December 27, 2023
However, Morant’s dance raised eyebrows, as it was shortly after his return from a suspension related to a separate incident involving a gun.
Morant had faced a 25-game suspension for sharing an image of a gun online.
