Fox Sports host Skip Bayless speculated that Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is a gang member after he appeared to flash a gun on an Instagram live video.
Morant was suspended after he appeared to flash a gun on a live stream while he was shirtless in a nightclub after the Grizzlies lost to the Denver Nuggets 113-97 on Friday night. He immediately apologized for his actions in a statement.
It’s far from the first troubling incident for the star guard. The Washington Post reported multiple altercations involving Morant during the summer of 2022.
On Monday’s Undisputed, Bayless said he had spoken with people around the NBA about the viral clip of Morant from Friday night.
“I’ve called around the league to people I’ve known forever, talking about Ja,” Bayless said. “Because I was so shocked by the IG Live, how brazen it was. And I had several people say to me, ‘well, timeout, are you sure you guys on TV aren’t giving him a pass here?”
“They’re asking me, ‘are you sure he’s not that?’ Like that’s just who he is, that he is about that life,” Bayless said.
The Undisputed co-host speculated whether Morant is part of a gang.
“And remember, he’s thrown up the Crips sign. I’ve seen him throw it up two or three
“I don’t know. I’m just throwing this out that, are we missing the boat here that that’s just who he’s been from the start, and we keep saying, ‘no, you’re just associated with the wrong people,’ when he’s actually part of the wrong people,” Bayless said.
In early February, Bayless’ co-host, Shannon Sharpe, blasted Morant after he was in a car that allegedly flashed a laser at members of the Indiana Pacers.
“I wish Ja would realize he’s not a thug,” Sharpe said. “Ja is a really good basketball player. Ja did everything he could to lift himself and his family out of this type of environment and to get away from this, and for some reason, he wants to surround himself with these types of people — why?”
Watch above via Fox Sports 1.