It was the night of February 26, 2021, and all eyes in the Staples Center were on the Los Angeles Lakers as they squared off against the Memphis Grizzlies. What should have been a thrilling match–up between two of the league‘s best teams quickly descended into chaos when Hall of Fame tight end and Fox pundit Shannon Sharpe got into a verbal altercation with Grizzlies guards Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant, center Steven Adams, and Ja‘s dad Tee.
Witnesses of the incident reported that it all started when Sharpe commented on Brooks‘ size, saying that he was too small to guard LeBron James. What happened next can be summed up in Sharpe‘s own words.
“They do all the talking and jockeying and I ain‘t about that jockeying. It started with Dillon Brooks. I said he was too small to guard LeBron. He said, ‘F— me.’ I said, ‘F— 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 don‘t want no problems. But I wanted anything they had. Don‘t let these fools fool you now,” he said.
LOL Hold up @ShannonSharpe was this you…. you suppose to chill at the game and just watch not jaw it up with @dillonbrooks24 @JaMorant @RealStevenAdams bruh LOL pic.twitter.com/yJbwME4U8n
— Jay Tisdale (@JayTisdale5) January 21, 2023
The stunning incident made headlines all over the world, especially since it was so unexpected coming from the same man who, just a few months prior, had urged fans courtside to show respect. While some were quick to criticize Sharpe‘s behavior, pointing out that it was in stark contrast to his November 2021 monologue, others argued that the altercation was a result of the disrespect shown to the players by the fans.
The altercation between Sharpe and the Grizzlies players and their dad has been the talk of the town ever since that fateful night. While the incident itself was unfortunate, it did serve as a reminder of the importance of respecting athletes and showing them the same courtesy that you would show to anyone else.
