"What happened between Ja Morant and Shannon Sharpe?Tracing the relationship between NFL legend and NBA star"
The NBA officially suspended Ja Morant for eight games for "conduct detrimental to the league."
Shannon Sharpe shared his thoughts on the suspension during a recent episode of 'Skip and Shannon: Undisputed'.
"Does he realize being Ja Morant is impressive enough in any room? I'm glad he got the help he needed, but the best apology is changed behavior."
Morant will be eligible to return to action against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Shannon Sharpe on Ja Morant's antics prior to gun controversy
Sharpe was outspoken about Morant earlier this year. He had this to say about Morant's troublesome behavior.
"You’re not gangsta, you’re not hood.. stop pretending. You’re worth $200M."
According to reports, Ja Morant and his friends confronted members of the Indiana Pacers' traveling team following a game in January. They allegedly flashed a red laser at the Pacers' staff members while trailing them in an SUV. Security believed that the laser was coming from a gun, but the league found no evidence of that being the case.
A heated exchange took place between Morant and Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard during the game on January 29. Morant's friend, Davonte Pack, was escorted out of the arena after getting involved in the situation.
There are also accusations that Morant punched a 17-year old during a pick-up basketball game last summer. Shannon Sharpe had this to say about the allegations:
"He is hustling backwards. You're supposed to want to be out of that environment. Ja you just gotta move differently."
Sharpe wonders why Morant would resort to actions that could harm his reputation and livelihood. He has worked hard to get where he is at this point in his life. Why throw that all away?
Shannon Sharpe and the incident with Ja Morant's father, Tee Morant
Ja Morant's father, Tee Morant, has always been supportive of his son. He often watches his games while sitting courtside.
Morant's father got into an argument with Sharpe during a game between the Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers on January 20th. They had to be separated as the players headed back to their respective locker rooms for halftime.
The altercation happened moments after Shannon Sharpe started trash-talking Dillon Brooks. The Grizzlies forward cussed right back at him. Morant rushed to the scene to defend his teammate. At this point, the situation escalated and Tee Morant got involved.
Tee Morant and Sharpe approached each other and mended fences after halftime. Sharpe went on air the following day and apologized. He took full responsibility for his actions.
Sharpe wants Ja Morant to learn from with the mistakes and become a better person. Hopefully he can put this behind him and focus on leading the Grizzlies deep into the playoffs.