Shaquille O’Neal reminded Ja Morant that he’s an NBA player – and “not a rapper” – while discussing the Grizzlies point guard and his involvement in an alleged gun incident.
Morant, a two-time All-Star, is currently away from the Grizzlies seeking help amid an investigation by Colorado police into his alleged possession of a handgun at a Denver-area nightclub on Saturday.
The NBA is also investigating the incident, which included Morant appearing to wave a gun during an Instagram Live video posted from his social media platform.
“It was a bad choice,” O’Neal said during the pregame show on “NBA on TNT” Tuesday.. “It was a bad decision… We have to stop putting ourself to where they can take away where we’ve worked so hard to get to. 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?’
“There is no excuse for what he did — but remember, he pressed the button on his phone. He went live. 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 went on to suggest that Morant needs to keep his family top of mind before making 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.
“Think of a higher power. I feel for him now, but I also feel for his mother and father. What are they going through? Before you make a dumb decision, not a mistake, a dumb decision, a dumb choice, think of a higher power — your mother, your father, your children. I’m not going to jump on the kid. He knows what he did was wrong, but remember, he put himself in the position. He didn’t have to go live.
“[To go live] you gotta pick your phone up, swipe the phone to go on Instagram, get on Instagram, swipe again, hit the live button, wait for it to connect… you gotta have enough common sense to know that wasn’t going to go the way you wanted it to go. You’re not a rapper, you’re an NBA player. 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.
“Now, forget all the investigation. I don’t like to hear, ‘what’s Nike going to do? What’s the other company going to do? … You don’t want to see a young kid like him lose that money… Remember, this is a decision… so he did it to himself. I’m not going to jump on him. He has to deal with what’s coming, and I know he has a lot of support around him.”
Morant signed five-year rookie maximum extension with the Grizzlies, worth up to $231 million, last year.
The point guard debuted his signature shoe with Nike on Christmas Day, and was announced as the new face of Powerade last week — the brand’s first athlete partnership in over five years.
“We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being,” Nike said of the incident, per The Athletic.
The incident involving Morant occurred early Saturday morning in Glendale, near Denver, just a few hours after the Grizzlies lost to the Nuggets, 113-97.
In an Instagram Live video, the 23-year-old father of one was shirtless in a strip club, where he was seen smiling and appeared hold up a handgun near his head.
Police said they began looking into the matter Monday and the investigation is ongoing.
“We’re still investigating it and we definitely don’t have any information to release (Tuesday),’’ captain Jamie Dillon of the Glendale Police Department told USA TODAY Sports.
It is unclear if the alleged gun was registered with the NBA as required by league rules, or whether Morant transported the gun on a chartered flight with the team.
Laura Ehret, VP of Communications and Basketball Information Strategy for the Grizzlies, said the team follows Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations, per the outlet.
The Grizzlies said in a statement on Saturday that Morant “will be away from the team for at least the next two games.”
Morant, in his own statement on Saturday, said: “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
Prior to the Grizzlies’ eventual loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, head coach Taylor Jenkins was asked why Memphis hasn’t suspended Morant for the alleged gun video.
“We’re keeping those dialogues inside, how we’re framing and all that stuff,” Jenkins said. “That’s our internal business.’’
Memphis is tied with the Kings for the second spot in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record.
The Grizzlies host the Warriors on Thursday.