CHICAGO, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah said he is retiring his signature post-shot finger guns out of respect for the victims in Newtown, Conn.
Noah said his "guns of glory" shot celebration, which involved him gesturing with his fingers like guns being shot off before dramatically holstering the weapons, is something he has done for years, but he decided to permanently holster the guns after 26 people, including 20 children, were shot and killed last week at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday.
"I started doing it in practice [a few years ago], did the guns and kept doing it," Noah said. "It was a funny, comical thing, but we're in a situation right now where it's not funny. You can't joke around with things like that. Too many people are dying because of guns. We have a problem here with guns, so I'm trying to be a little compassionate. It's not a joking matter. We have a serious problem with it in Chicago. It's crazy. I mean this summer, the movie theater, it's happening all the time. This is unheard of. Every story is horrific. The gun thing in this country is no joke."
