Look: Shannon Sharpe Is Furious With NBA Superstar

Shannon Sharpe delivered a pointed message to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant on FS1’s Undisputed this morning.

Sharpe discussed yesterday’s report from The Athletic, which detailed an NBA investigation into a reported incident involving associates of Morant and members of the Indiana Pacers’ traveling party following a game on Jan. 29.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Bob Kravitz, Morant’s constituents “aggressively confronted members of the Pacers traveling party near the team’s bus in the loading area of FedExForum, and later someone in a slow-moving SUV — which Morant was riding in — trained a red laser on them.”

In a passionate segment, Sharpe called on Morant to distance himself from a certain type of lifestyle. 

“I wish Ja would realize that he’s not a thug,” Sharpe said. “Ja is a really good basketball player. Ja did everything he could to lift himself and his family out of this type of environment and to get away from this.

“For some reason, he wants to surround himself with these type of people. Why? Bruh, you not hard. That’s not your life. People in that life would give anything to be in your life. For some reason you’ve got a $200 million contract and you want people in the NBA to think you hood, to think you gangster because you roll with these type of people. Bruh, you’re putting yourself in harm’s way when you don’t have to. Nobody looks at you, Ja, and thinks you’re hood.”

Morant himself addressed the situation in a tweet on Sunday night. 

“Did a investigation seen they were cappin. still let a article come out to paint this negative image on me & my fam . & banned my brother from home games for a year . unbelievable,” Morant wrote.

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass shared the findings from the league’s investigation in a statement with The Athletic. 

“NBA Security and league investigators conducted an investigation interviewing numerous eyewitnesses and reviewing video surveillance following allegations made by the Indiana Pacers organization regarding a postgame incident on Jan. 29. While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon,” Bass said. “Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena. If additional information becomes available related to the postgame situation, the league office will conduct a further review.”

Morant was held out of Memphis’ game Sunday night due to right wrist soreness.

He was recently selected to his second consecutive NBA All-Star Game.