NFL Hall of Famer and Fox personality Shannon Sharpe appeared to start an altercation with the entire Memphis Grizzlies and Tee Morant team Friday night during their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto. com Arena.
Sharpe was sitting pitchside during the game when the altercation began just before half-time. Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks were seen talking to Sharpe as they started to leave the pitch for the locker room. Before they got to the tunnel, however, things broke.
Almost the entire Grizzlies bench, led by 6-foot-11 center Steven Adams, suddenly charged at Sharpe — prompting safety to step in and try to hold them off.
Tee Morant, Ja’s father, then approached Sharpe and the larger group from the side, and the two had to be separated by security. Sharpe and the elder Morant were then chased off the ground in different directions by security, but both returned to their places for the second half.
The cause of the altercation, at least from Sharpe’s perspective, was incredibly stupid.
Sharpe told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the fight started after Sharpe told Brooks he “was too small to keep LeBron.” [James].”
“They didn’t want that smoke, Dave,” Sharpe told ESPN. “They do all talk and jockey and I’m not about that jockey. It all started with Dillon Brooks. I said he was too small to keep LeBron. He said, “F**k” me. I said, “Fuck you” back. He started coming up to me and I said, ‘You don’t want these problems.’
“And then Ja came out of nowhere talking. He certainly didn’t want these problems. Then the dad came and he obviously didn’t want any trouble. But I wanted everything they had. Don’t let those fools fool you now.
It’s unclear exactly why Sharpe, who is technically a member of the media, started heckling Brooks in the first place. And, obviously, Brooks has a much better chance of keeping James than the 54-year-old retired tight end.
Tee Morant said Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes after the altercation that he and Sharpe “are good” and that he has “nothing but love for him”. The two then reconciled during the third quarter.
The Grizzlies held a 53-49 halftime lead.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.