DANCES, GUN GESTURES, AND GANG SIGNS: THE CELEBRATION RESTRICTION CONTINUES IN THE NFL AND EXPANDS TO THE NBA

The NFL recently banned a celebration pose called the “nose wipe” in March of 2025.¹ The ban was codified in the NFL’s conduct rules, in Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(d) hereinafter making the “nose wipe” illegal with a punishment of a 15-yard penalty.² The ”nose wipe” has been championed by Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, who responded to this ban with a reply on social media stating, ”smh, I have plenty in mind.”³

This is not the first celebration to be banned, either by the NFL or by other sports leagues such as the NBA. The NFL has stated under Rule12, Section 3, Article 1 that conduct that involves,

“Using abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the League… Using baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams…Any violent gesture, or an act that is sexually suggestive or offensive… Prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations by an individual player or multiple players.”⁴

The NFL has famously fined players after several celebrations, including: Jameson Williams “obscene gesture”, Drake London’s shooting a large gun into the crowd, Malik Nabers for gun celebrations, Travis Kelce for dunking a football over the crossbar, Joe Horn for pulling a cellphone out of a goal post, and Derek Carr for a Michael Jackson inspired celebration. These celebrations have resulted in a range fines ranging from $14,000 to over $30,000.⁵

The NFL has not been the only one banning celebrations. Turning to the NBA, Memphis Grizzlies player Ja Morant has recently been fined for several explicit celebrations that included throwing a pretend grenade into the crowd and finger gun celebrations.⁶ The finger gun celebrations have already cost Ja Morant a $75,000 fine.⁷ Only a few days later, Ja Morant displayed a new celebration of the grenade pull followed by covering his ears after mimicking throwing a grenade into the crowd.⁸ The NBA has yet to comment on this new celebration.

Both the NBA and the NFL have a clear policy: no violence or gun-based celebrations. It is obvious that both groups want to send appropriate messages to their audiences about what they conduct they expect from their players either at the net or after a touchdown.

However, this does pose a question; how far will they go with restrictions? As we have seen with the NFL, any celebrations that are “extended” can be considered a violation of the

player’s code of conduct, even PG rated ones. The NBA still has a way to go to meet up with the NFL standard, but it is apparent that they have the same policy against offensive or violent celebrations. Will the NBA follow NFL rules, including banning “extended” celebrations? Or will they limit theirs to guns, offensive mannerisms, and other crude messaging? Only time will tell how far celebrations are limited, and if they are, if the players will even follow the rules or will they just pay up.

1. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-moves-to-ban-ceedee-lambs-nose-wipe-celebration ↩︎
2. Id. ↩︎
3. Id. ↩︎
4. https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#rule12 ↩︎
5. Id. ↩︎
6. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/sport/ja-morant-grenade-celebration-grizzlies-spt/index.html ↩︎
7. Id. ↩︎
8. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2025/04/09/ja-morant-grenade-celebration-gilbert-arenas-suggestion/83006060007/ ↩︎

image credits: https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-makes-nose-wipe-celebration-penalty-cowboys-ceedee-lamb-responds