‘Undisputed’ host Shannon Sharpe has hit back at a social media user that appeared to blame him for NBA star Ja Morant’s gun scandal.
Morant, 23, was suspended for at least two games Saturday after he appeared to flash a gun in a shocking Instagram Live video, while posing topless in a strip club in the early hours of the morning.
The Memphis Grizzlies player has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the past week, with the latest scandal his fourth recent weapon-related incident.
Sharpe had criticized Morant on his ‘Undisputed’ show with Skip Bayless Thursday morning after the point guard became the subject of multiple allegations of violence and threats.
The former NFL player had warned Morant to ‘move differently’ after becoming the subject of negative reports.
Shannon Sharpe (L) has hit back at claims blaming him for NBA star Ja Morant’s (R) gun scandal
The ‘Undisputed’ show host fired back at the suggestions on social media Saturday
‘He portrays that he’s something that he’s not,’ Sharpe said. ‘Normally guys that have, they like, ‘Okay, I’m cool. I made it. I’m good.’ Guys that haven’t made it want to project that they are good. I don’t get with Ja, he hustlin’ backwards.’
‘Ja, just move differently bruh, that’s the only advice,’ Sharpe continued. ‘I would never give you any advice about how to play basketball, but I would try to give you some advice about how to move. Let someone else’s lesson be your lesson.’
However, after the news of Morant’s latest controversy broke Saturday, one social media user appeared to accuse Sharpe of shaming the guard into behaving worse.
‘This why I didn’t think Shannon Sharpe should’ve shamed Ja the way he did cuz people like Ja just act more stupidly when you do em like that,’ they wrote.
Sharpe sarcastically hit back, quote tweeting the post and writing: ‘Now it’s my fault Ja acting like this? Got it’
Sharpe had also stirred the pot Saturday morning following Morant’s Instagram live in the early hours.
Taking to Twitter, he quipped: ‘Anything interesting happen while I was asleep last nite? Fill me in Twitter’
Sharpe was previously involved in a notable altercation this season with members of Morant’s entourage – including Ja’s father Tee Morant.
Sharpe had criticized Morant after the point guard became the subject of multiple allegations
One social media user appeared to accuse Sharpe of shaming the guard into behaving worse
Sharpe was involved in a verbal confrontation with Memphis players at halftime, which stemmed from the former tight end shouting at Grizzlies veteran Dillon Brooks as players headed toward the locker rooms.
Memphis center Steven Adams appeared to take offense and confronted the 54-year-old Sharpe, who refused to back down, leading to Sharpe being restrained by security.
In the Instagram clip Saturday, which was widely shared on Twitter immediately after it went out on his page, Morant is dancing topless in a strip club, before appearing to lifting a gun up to the side of his head.
Hours later, it was revealed that the incident was being investigated by the NBA, and The Athletic’s Shams Charania then reported that Morant had been banned for ‘at least two games’ by the Grizzlies while the investigation into the incident continues.
He continued by adding that the Grizzlies said Morant ‘will be away from the franchise for at least Sunday at Clippers and Tuesday at Lakers.’
Just hours later, Morant issued a statement taking reasonability for his actions and explaining he would be taking time away from the game to work on his well-being.
‘I take full responsibility for my actions last night,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.
‘I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.’
Sharpe had to be restrained following a clash with Grizzlies stars in LA back in January
Morant is a huge name in the NBA but has been involved in a series of different controversies
In the background of the video, topless women can be seen dancing, while Morant laughs with his friends.
The tasteless clip is – incredibly – the fourth recent gun-related controversy involving the young NBA star, who earns $12,119,000 a year.
Morant was sued in September for allegedly punching a Tennessee teenager in the face during a pickup game, but the NBA star claims he was acting in self defense.
New details from police interviews obtained by The Washington Post reveal that the 17-year-old told detectives from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office that the point guard hit him ’12 to 13 times,’ adding that Morant’s friend struck him an additional ‘four to five times.’
The teenager claimed that as he got up to leave after the fight Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a gun.
Morant allegedly had the weapon visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun.
The 17-year-old plaintiff claimed he was playing pickup basketball with Morant when the two got into an argument, which quickly escalated. He admits to throwing a basketball at Morant and ‘accidentally’ hitting the 6-foot-2 guard in the face.
Morant and his friend allegedly responded by striking the 17-year-old ‘with a closed fist, knocking him to the ground’ and leaving him with a ‘large knot’ on the side of his head, according to a police report written by deputies who said they observed the boy’s injuries.
Morant ‘continued sticking him while on the ground’ as another person joined in to strike the teenager, who compared the hits to ‘an MMA bout.’
Morant appeared to hold up a gun in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday
Morant released a statement saying he will be taking some time away to receive help
Morant is said to have admitted striking the 17-year-old, but told police he did so in self defense. According to the former Murray State star, the plaintiff also ‘made verbal threats’ and said he was going to ‘light [Morant’s] house up.’
Morant said ‘he and his family were put in fear by the statement.’
In a baffling incident just days after the report was released, Morant courted yet more controversy – this time at an NBA game – when he performed a gun celebration after watching a teammate shoot a three-pointer.
The unsavory moment occurred on Wednesday night as the Memphis Grizzlies took on the Houston Rockets, with Morant watching on from the bench as Desmond Bane drained a three-point effort in front of his teammates.
Morant was hyped up by the shot, and celebrated by pretending to shoot a gun at Bane as he ran up the floor back on defense.
Morant was also involved in a separate incident at a Memphis mall last summer, after the New York Post reported that the head of security told police that Morant ‘threatened’ him during an altercation in the parking lot.
Morant’s mother reportedly got into a dispute with a employee at a shoe store at the mall and she called her son who arrived shortly after with a group of ‘as many as nine people.’
According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when confronted by the director of mall security.
Police arrived and a ‘verbal confrontation’ reportedly escalated before someone in Morant’s entourage allegedly pushed the security chief in the head.
The alleged incident last summer took place at Morant’s mansion outside Memphis (pictured)
Grizzlies’ Morant was seen pretending to shoot a gun in celebration during a game this week
The head of security at a Memphis mall also alleged that Morant ‘threatened’ him last summer
‘As the group was leaving the premises … Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time he gets off,” police wrote in the report.
Furthermore, there was an unsavory incident following the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when acquaintances of Ja Morant ‘aggressively confronted’ members of Indiana’s traveling party – and pointed a red laser at them.
The Athletic said that Morant was riding with friend Davonte Pack and one other person in an SUV when a red laser was pointed at the Pacers bus.
Two people who spoke to the publication anonymously said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana security guard nearby claimed ‘that’s 100 percent a gun.’ However, it has not been confirmed it the laser was attached to a weapon.
The incident led to a league investigation, and seems to have shook up those who were involved.
‘We felt we were in grave danger,’ one person present said.
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