The Los Angeles Lakers’ comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night featured one awfully bizarre moment right at the start of halftime. Cameras caught Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks jawing with Shannon Sharpe, the Hall of Fame tight end and Fox Sports personality who is no stranger to attention Lakers games.
Things seemed to really escalate when Sharpe got riled up over the interaction. Steven Adams and Tee Morant, among others, went at Sharpe, which led to the referees and stadium personnel holding everyone back from one another. It was awfully bizarre — although basketball fans had a whole lot of fun with the entire thing — and after the game, both Brooks and James commented on what went down, with Brooks expressing that “the blogger or whatever he is” should have been ejected from courtside.
Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks on Shannon Sharpe: “I ain’t talking about that. You can ask him. He’s the blogger or whatever he is. I don’t really care about all that. Next question.” pic.twitter.com/xaMEOA9pEU
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 21, 2023
Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks said Shannon Sharpe, as a fan, shouldn’t have been been allowed to stay at the arena after halftime verbal altercation: “A regular pedestrian like him? No. He should have never came back in the game, but it’s LA.” pic.twitter.com/qXobVt9Nku
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 21, 2023
As for James, he was asked about the incident after the game and expressed his appreciation for how he and Sharpe always have one another’s backs.
LeBron on Shannon Sharpe: “I ride with Shannon 365 days — 366 on a leap year — 24/7. So that’s my guy. I always got his back. And he’s got mine. He can talk with the best of them, for sure.” pic.twitter.com/bAHMuPZkix
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 21, 2023
It is worth mentioning that, after Sharpe issued a statement where he said he was extremely willing to tussle with the Grizzlies, he seemed to patch things up with Morant during the game. Memphis will return to Los Angeles to play LeBron and co. on March 7.