Shaquille O’Neal wants Ja Morant to start acting like the NBA player he is and not the “rapper” he’s seemingly portraying outside the court.
The NBA world hasn’t stopped talking about Morant’s latest scandal, after the Memphis Grizzlies star was suspended from two games for flashing a gun on Instagram Live, The New York Post reported
. On Tuesday, Shaq called out Morant while discussing the controversy during the pregame show, NBA on TNT.“It was a bad choice,” O’Neal said. “It was a bad decision.”
“We have to stop putting ourselves in positions to where they can take away what we’ve worked so hard to get. You should always believe in a higher power. I’ve always had the ability to stop time and say, ‘If I do this, what’s going to be the outcome?’”
Morant’s actions not only got him suspended, but also resulted in an investigation by Colorado police into his alleged possession of a handgun at a Denver nightclub on Saturday. Recounting Morant’s behavior during the Instagram Live where he flashed the gun, O’Neal scolded the 23-year-old South Carolina native.
“There is no excuse for what he did — but remember, he pressed the button on his phone. He went live,” Shaq said. “If you don’t go live, nobody knows he has the weapon and we’re not talking about this, but he did that.”
“Why are you in the strip club with no shirt? Why are you walking around with a weapon? And why did you hit the live button?”
O’Neal advised Morant to think about his family and the lives they’re able to afford, thanks to his NBA career, before making such life-changing decisions.
“I’ve seen
your videos where your dad… he’s training you and your brothers,” O’Neal said. “I’ve also seen the video of your mom [Jamie Morant] and dad [Tee Morant], they got the nice mansion next door to you. That’s where 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.”The NBA alum, who also used to dabble in music as a rapper during his heyday, reminded Morant of his career as a professional athlete and not a rap star.
“You’re not a rapper, you’re an NBA player,” he said.
“I don’t know where you’re from. I don’t know who’s hanging around with you. That don’t matter. When it’s you making the decision, you’ve got to be smart.
Morant released a statement saying he is seeking treatment amid the controversy. Nike released a statement of support for the NBA player ahead of their plans to release his sneaker next month.