A bizarre confrontation unfolded courtside during Friday’s encounter between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.
As players on both teams began walking off the floor at halftime, members of the Grizzlies suddenly walked over to confront Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Fox Sports on-air personality Shannon Sharpe, with Ja Morant’s father Tee also joining the altercation.
Security had to restrain the Memphis players as Sharpe continued to shout at them from his spot courtside.
Sharpe, who was subsequently escorted by security into the arena tunnel at the break, said the altercation started after he taunted Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks.
“They didn’t want this smoke, Dave,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “They do all that talking and jockeying and I ain’t about that jockeying. It started with Dillon Brooks. I said he was too small to guard LeBron (James).
“He said, ‘F–k’ me. I said, ‘F–k’ you back. He started to come at me and I said, ‘You don’t want these problems.’ And then Ja came out of nowhere talking. He definitely didn’t want these problems. Then the dad came and he obviously didn’t want no problems. But I wanted anything they had. Don’t let these fools fool you now.”
Sharpe was allowed to return to his seat for the second half.
Tee Morant said he had “nothing but love” for Sharpe and the two were “good” following the confrontation, according to TNT’s Chris Haynes. After the third quarter, the two exchanged a hug.
