The match between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies took an ugly turn at halftime when former NFL player and commentator Shannon Sharpe got into a heated exchange with the Grizzlies players.

According to Sharpe, it all started when he told Grizzlies’ player Dillon Brooks that he can’t guard Lebron James because he was too small. Brooks reacted using the F-word on Sharpe who didn’t take it kindly. 

Escalation

Tempers flared as center Steven Adams and other Grizzlies players confronted Sharpe who by now is surrounded by security and other officials trying to separate the two parties. Sharpe ended up directing his ire against Ja Morant’s dad, Tee who joined the fracas. 

Tee Morant later on told ESPN’s Mark Jakson “blood pressure didn’t go up a bit —  nothing but love and respect for Shanon Sharpe.”

Sharpe and Morant were later seen sharing an embrace at the end of the third quarter.

Could be a good thing

Good thing the altercation didn’t affect the rest of the game because if it did, perhaps it riled up the Lakers as they went on to win the game in one of the most exciting fourth quarters so far this season. 

Trailing by five with a minute left, the Lakers were able to pull off an unexpected win against the Grizzlies who at this point had won 11 straight and held one of the best records in the Western Conference. 

The Grizzlies came in with a lot of swagger and trash talk. Sharpe didn’t back down and so didn’t the Lakers. 

The Lakers won a thriller 122-121 with James scoring 23 points while expressing his support for Sharpe. “I run with Shannon 365 days, 366 in a leap year, 24/7. That’s my guy.” James said. 

There’s a lot going for the Lakers this season, a chance to bounce back and reach the playoffs and James trying to reach Karim Abdul Jabbar’s record for the all-time scoring record—- He needs 270 points to tie the record. 

Sharpe may just have jump-started a difficult season for the Lakers. Should be exciting the rest of the way.