Shaq Sends a Powerful Message to Ja Morant Over a ‘Dumb Decision’
1. Almost everyone in sports media has shared their take on Ja Morant, but few have done it as well as Shaquille O’Neal.
The superstar guard has stepped away from the Grizzlies after he made the head-shaking decision last weekend to go on Instagram Live at 5 a.m. from a strip club and put a gun to his head.
A solemn and serious O’Neal used his TNT platform Tuesday to call out Morant in a measured and fair way, but also explain why Morant’s behavior could lead to major consequences.
“It was a bad choice,” said O’Neal. “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 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 gonna be the outcome?’
“There’s no excuse for what he did. Remember, he pressed the button on his phone. He went live. You don’t go live, nobody knows he has the weapon, 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’d you hit the live button? So we have to stop putting ourselves in positions where they can take away the things that we work hard to get.”
O’Neal later added, “I feel for him now. But I also feel for his mother and father. What are they going through? So, guys, before you make a dumb decision, not a mistake, a dumb decision, a dumb choice, think of the higher power: your mother, your father, your children.
“I’m not gonna jump on the kid. He knows what he did was wrong. But remember he put himself in that position. He didn’t have to go live. You gotta pick your phone up, swipe to find 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 gonna 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 out with you, but that don’t matter. When it’s you making the decision you gotta be smart. And we gotta stop putting ourselves in positions to where they can take it back.”
O’Neal continued to hammer home the point that this was fully Morant’s doing.
“Remember, this is a decision. This isn’t an instance where I had it, I’m dancing and it goes off. This is an instance where I pull it out, I hit the button and I wiggle it for everybody to see. So he did it to himself. He has to deal with what’s coming. And I know he has a lot of support around him. And his friends can’t be yes friends. I love my crew. We fight and argue all the time. But you know what. They keep me in line. My friends keep me in line. They like, ‘You ain’t about that life. You don’t need to be doing that. Forget all that.’”
I’ve seen a handful of people try to make excuses for Morant, so it was refreshing to hear O’Neal explain that Morant did this to himself. It’s also good to see that Morant has stepped away and seems like he’s going to make an effort to change his behavior. Hopefully, this was Morant’s rock bottom and, as Shaq said, he won’t put himself in any more positions that could cost him everything.
2. Since it looks like Aaron Rodgers is going to be traded to the Jets, a lot of NFL fans are throwing their money away on a foolish futures bet.
3. This was a terrible look for Draymond Green, who got frustrated when Jordan Poole didn’t pass him the ball.
4. The Knicks’ nine-game winning was snapped Tuesday night by the 21–46 Hornets. Many people cited fatigue as the reason for New York’s poor play. However, Knicks guard Josh Hart wasn’t buying that and gave a quote every sports fan should appreciate.
5. If you’re longing for some football, check out this great clip from NFL Primetime that has Chris Berman recapping a 1991 Colts-Bucs game.
6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina features a conversation with the WWE’s Paul Heyman. Topics covered include:
• The smash-hit story line involving Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn, why it’s worked so well and who should get credit for the creative
• Why The Rock wasn’t able to pull off a rumored match with Reigns at WrestleMania
• Selling fans on a Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns WrestleMania main event
• Vince McMahon’s return to the WWE
• When will he start a podcast
• An encounter with Michael Jordan
Following Heyman, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we share their thoughts on Major League Baseball implementing the pitch clock and read recent Apple reviews for the podcast.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 46th birthday to James Van Der Beek, the star of the best football movie of all time.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
