Shaquille O’Neal is sharing his thoughts on the controversy surrounding Ja Morant, who has found himself in hot water for his Instagram Live over the weekend. As we previously reported, the Memphis Grizzlies NBA player left fans startled when he live-streamed himself inside a strip club with his shirt off as he flashed a gun while rapping along to a song being played in the background. The video spread like wildfire on social media and prompted an NBA spokesperson to announce that the 23-year-old had been suspended from the team for at least two games.
O’Neal appeared on “NBA on TNT” to share how he feels about the “bad decision” made the Morant. He directly faced the camera and sternly said that people needed to stop putting themselves in positions where they can quite literally lose it all, reminding the panel that it was Morant who made the decision to press record and go on IG Live. O’Neal continued by talking about the journey it has taken Morant to get to where he is today and how his parents are now living comfortably in a mansion opposite their son. “That’s what we’re trying to get to, and once we get there, we know the letter of the law. We know what not to do, what not to say, and we know common sense.”
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The 51-year-old doesn’t doubt that Morant knows he made a mistake after showing himself in such a negative light, but most of all, O’Neal appeared even more concerned for what his parents are going through based on the South Carolina native’s actions. “You gotta have enough common sense to know that wasn’t gonna go the way you wanted it to go. You’re a rapper, you’re an NBA player,” he added.
While it was initially claimed that Morant could be in danger of losing some of his most lucrative sponsorship deals, Nike has since released a statement making it clear that they would continue their working relationship with him despite the scandal. “We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support the prioritization of his well-being,” the company said in a statement this week.
Powerade, which is owned by Coca-Cola, announced its partnership with Morant just days before the IG live fiasco, and from what’s been gathered, there have been no plans made to terminate the star’s contract as of yet.
Morant took full accountability for his actions the following day in a statement where he apologized to his fans, friends, and colleagues for letting them down. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
It was just in September when Morant was sued by a 17-year-old who accused him of physically attacking him at the athlete’s Tennessee home in July 2022. A quarrel ensued while the pair were playing a basketball game at Morant’s residence, and as the argument intensified, the teen alleged he was repeatedly punched, though the Grizzlies player said his actions were simply in self-defense.
Following a lengthy investigation, the district attorney chose to decline prosecution based on the lack of evidence submitted in the case.