‘Undisputed’ host Shannon Sharpe has responded to a social media user who seemed to blame her for the NBA star Ja Morant gun scandal.
Morant, 23, was suspended for at least two games on Saturday after he appeared to display a weapon in a shocking Instagram Live video, while posing topless at a strip club in the early hours of the morning.
The Memphis Grizzlies player has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in the past week, with the latest scandal marking his fourth recent gun-related incident.
Sharpe had criticized Morant on his ‘Undisputed’ show with Skip Bayless on Thursday morning after the outfitter was the target of multiple allegations of violence and threats.
The former NFL player had warned Morant to “move differently” after coming under negative reports.
Shannon Sharpe (left) has responded to claims blaming him for the gun scandal involving NBA star Ja Morant (right).
The ‘Undisputed’ show host responded to the suggestions on social media on Saturday.
“It portrays that it is something that it is not,” Sharpe said. “Usually guys who have, they’re like, ‘Okay, I’m good.’ I did it. I’m fine.’ Guys who haven’t made it want to project that they’re good. I don’t understand Ja, he pushes back.
“Ha, just move differently bro, that’s the only advice,” Sharpe continued. “I would never give you any advice on how to play basketball, but I would try to give you some advice on how to move. Let another’s lesson be your lesson.
However, after news of Morant’s latest controversy broke on Saturday, one social media user appeared to accuse Sharpe of shaming the guard into behaving worse.
“This is why I didn’t think Shannon Sharpe should have shamed Ja the way she did because people like Ja act more stupid when you do them like that,” they wrote.
Sharpe sarcastically responded, quoting by tweeting the post and writing: ‘Now it’s my fault Ja acts like this? I understand’
Sharpe had also stirred the pot on Saturday morning by following Morant’s Instagram live in the early hours.
Taking to Twitter, he quipped: ‘Did anything interesting happen in your sleep last night? Fill me in on 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 shipowner became the subject of multiple allegations.
A social media user appeared to accuse Sharpe of shaming the guard into behaving worse.
Sharpe was involved in a verbal confrontation with the Memphis players at halftime, which stemmed from the former tight end. yelling at Grizzlies veteran Dillon Brooks as the players made their way to the locker room.
Memphis center Steven Adams appeared to take offense and confronted the 54-year-old Sharpe, who refused to back down, resulting in Sharpe being held by security.
In the Instagram clip from Saturday, which was shared widely on Twitter immediately after it was posted on her page, Morant dances topless in a strip club, before appearing to raise a gun to the side of her head.
Hours later, it was revealed that the incident was being investigated by the NBA, with The Athletic’s Shams Charania reporting that Morant had been suspended for “at least two games” by the Grizzlies while the investigation into the incident continues.
He went on to add that the Grizzlies said Morant “will be out of the franchise at least Sunday at the Clippers and Tuesday at the Lakers.”
Just hours later, Morant issued a statement taking the reasonableness of his actions and explaining that he would be taking time off the game to work on his well-being.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” he said. “I am sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting them down.
“I’m going to take some time to get help and work on learning better methods to deal with stress and my overall well-being.”
Sharpe had to be restrained following a clash with the Grizzlies stars in Los Angeles in January
Morant is a big name in the NBA, but he’s been involved in a number of different controversies.
In the background of the video, women can be seen dancing topless, 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 drop-in game, but the NBA star claims he acted in self-defense.
New details from police interviews obtained by The Washington Post reveal that the 17-year-old told Shelby County Sheriff’s Office detectives that the point guard hit him “12 to 13 times,” adding that the friend of Morant hit him “four to 13 more times.” five times.’
The teen claimed that when he got up to leave after the fight, Morant entered his home and reappeared with a gun.
Morant allegedly had the gun visible in the waistband of his pants and had his hand on the gun.
The 17-year-old plaintiff claimed that he was playing 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 hitting 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 officers. who said they observed the boy’s injuries.
Morant “continued to hit him while he was on the ground” as another person joined in hitting the teen, who likened the blows to “an MMA fight.”
Morant appeared to be holding a gun in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday.
Morant issued a statement saying that he will take time to receive help.
Morant is said to have admitted to hitting the 17-year-old, but told police he did it in self-defense. According to the former Murray State star, the plaintiff also ‘made verbal threats’ and said he was going to ‘ignite [Morant’s] house up.’
Morant said that “he and his family were scared by the statement.”
In a baffling incident just days after the report was released, Morant sparked even more controversy, this time at an NBA game, when he held a guns celebration after watching a teammate shoot a 3-pointer.
The ugly moment occurred Wednesday night when the Memphis Grizzlies took on the Houston Rockets, with Morant watching from the bench as Desmond Bane drained a three-point effort in front of his teammates.
Morant was excited about the shot and celebrated by pretending to fire a gun at Bane as he ran down the court to defend himself.
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 Morant “threatened” him during an altercation in the parking lot.
Morant’s mother reportedly got into a dispute with a shoe store clerk at the mall and called her son, who arrived shortly afterward with a group of “up to nine people.”
According to the police report, Morant and his friends refused to leave the parking lot when they were confronted by the mall’s director of security.
Police arrived and a ‘verbal confrontation’ reportedly escalated before someone in Morant’s entourage allegedly shoved 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 fire 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 facility… Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time it leaves,'” police wrote in the report.
In addition, there was an unpleasant incident after the Grizzlies’ game with the Pacers on January 29, when Ja Morant’s acquaintances ‘aggressively confronted’ members of the Indiana traveling party and pointed a red laser at them.
the athletic saying that Morant was traveling with his friend Davonte Pack and another 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 weapon, while a nearby Indiana security guard said “that’s 100 percent a weapon.” However, it has not been confirmed if the laser was attached to a weapon.
The incident led to a league investigation and appears to have shaken those involved.
“We felt we were in grave danger,” said a person present.