Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal recently took a dig at the Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s firearm controversy. The incident occurred following an Instagram Live session where Morant displayed a firearm, prompting O’Neal to respond with a verbal jab.
The four-time NBA champion Shaq and three other guests—Candace Parker, Jamal Crawford, and Adam Lefkoe—discussed Mortant’s controversial incident on a recent broadcast of NBA on TNT. Shaq did not halt back to voice out against wrong deeds and openly called out Mortant for his actions.
Shaq totally blamed the 23-year-old star for this incident, saying that it was not like that Mortant did it unconsciously, and he could totally know the consequences of that. He mentioned that Mortant was totally in the sense at that time as he took his phone and made Instagram live. So, Shaq totally held Mortant responsible, saying that nobody could know if he was carrying a gun if he did not make the live video.
What did Shaquille O’Neal say addressing Morant?
Hall of fame big man Shaquille O’Neal told Mortant to keep in mind that he is an NBA player, not a rapper, as this young star went shirtless to the strip club, carried unloaded guns, and made a live video which is very much unprofessional behavior for an athlete.
Besides criticizing Mortant, this former Lakers also expressed that he was feeling extremely bad for what Mortant and his family are facing, and also offered suggestions to him that he needs to think of his family before making any stupid decisions in the heat of the time.
Shaquille O’Neal actually looked serious over this matter as he previously witnessed the fall of possible bright players due to some off-court antics he stated that players actually need to stop involving in issues that might end up ruining their whole hard-works and careers.
Ja Morant, the All-Star player, issued an official apology after getting two match suspension notices from the team and removed his social media accounts. This talented young star is now out of the Lakers and might possibly end up facing a 50-match suspension for violating the collective bargaining agreement.
One thing is certain: the incident has once again highlighted the need for athletes to be mindful of their actions both in public and online. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it’s more important than ever for athletes to be mindful of the impact their actions can have on their careers, their fans, and society as a whole.
