"104 MPH they don't see what's going on": Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper calls out Kirby Smart over Georgia player arrests
University of Georgia wide receiver Nitareon “Nitro” Tuggle and offensive lineman Marques Easley were arrested in separate reckless driving incidents in the past week. This led former NBA player Ron Harper to call out coach Kirby Smart for the actions of his players.
In a post on X on Wednesday, the 5-time NBA champion with the Michael Jordan-led Bulls and the Lakers said:
“@UGAAthletics @KirbySmartUGA what’s going on down there with your players and driving crazy? 104 MPH they don’t see what’s going on these days with car crashes and people losing life? Wow”
Tuggle was arrested on March 19 by Athens-Clarke County police for reckless driving after driving 107 mph on Georgia State Lopop 10 outside of Athens, GA.
On the heels of Tuggle’s arrest, Easley was arrested early Thursday, March 20, when he lost control of his 2021 Dodge Challenger. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the car left the roadway, striking a power distribution box and two parked cars.
Tuggle was released on a $26 bond approximately an hour after his arrest. Easley was released from the Oconee County jail at 5:04 pm, following his 4:35 pm release. Both players have been indefinitely suspended from team activities.
On Tuesday, Coach Smart addressed the media for the first time since the arrests, saying,
"Yeah, disappointed obviously, in those two young men and the decision-making process for each one. You know, both of them are younger players and have made crucial mistakes."
Coach Smart also said that players have been introduced to defensive driving classes and are being taught how to drive if they were novice drivers getting their licenses.
Ron Harper is “over” LeBron James/Stephen A. Smith beef
The back-and-forth kerfuffle between ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith and Lakers superstar LeBron James has dominated sports headlines since James confronted Smith at a Lakers game earlier this month.
It has germinated a conversation about how journalists and sports platforms should comport themselves when covering athletes.
Ron Harper is seemingly tired of sports shows used as platforms to lob pejoratives and thinks they should get back to focusing on what happens between the lines.
The former teammate of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, as well as Kobe and Shaq, responded to a tweet from Robert Griffin III in which the former NFL signal caller wrote,
“This Stephen A. Smith and Lebron James situation is EXACTLY why Sports Shows on TV should be about sports and not made personal.”
Ron Harper chimed in, saying:
“It’s all about their feelings.”
Harper fleshed out his thoughts in an earlier tweet.
“I’m over this topic for sure sports are played to have fun and the love of the games. These sports shows and taking heads have an opinion and if it offends someone can we just talk about it behind the camera and not a 30 mins rant on TV?”
While Ron Harper is "over" the LeBron-Stephen A beef, the two seem far from done as they continue to trade shots.