Sports
Ja Morant may argue that he was acting in self-defense in the lawsuit filed against him
In September 2022, a lawsuit was filed by a then-17-year-old teenager accusing Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies of hitting him while the two were playing basketball at Morant’s parents’ home earlier that summer. The judge ruled that Morant hit the teenager that day in self-defense.
Shelby County Court District Judge Carol Chumney ruled v. Joshua Holloway, who filed a lawsuit against Morant after an altercation between the two at their Eads, Tennessee, home on July 26, 2022. She stated that the NBA player “enjoys the presumption of civil immunity,” citing Tennessee law since the self-defense issue was raised by an attorney Morant. Morant’s attorney said he first hit Holloway “to protect himself” from the teenager.
In her judgment, she wrote that “a prosecutor cannot, in principle, claim self-defense; when you start a fight, you ought to be able to stop it,” in keeping with Tennessee law. She said Holloway desired to wrestle while everyone else desired to play basketball.
The incident occurred at Morant’s home during a basketball game. The Memphis player stated that Holloway was frustrated that he had already lost several games and allegedly threw an aggressive one-handed pass at him while Morant was checking the basketball. He said the ball hit him on the left side of his face.
One sec testify on the witness stand in December 2023. Morant testified that after throwing the ball at him, he asked the teenager, “What do you mean?” Instead of responding, Holloway pulled up his shorts in what he assumed was an aggressive fighting stance.
“Where I come from, he pulls up his shorts, it’s a fighting stance,” Morant told his lawyer. He said Holloway took a step toward him and that’s when he threw a punch that hit Holloway. “I hit him first to protect myself.”
The December hearing was held because Morant’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit under Tennessee’s standing statute.
reported that Holloway filed civil lawsuit against Morant and his friend Davonte Pack. In the lawsuit, Holloway sued the couple alleging assault, reckless endangerment and infliction of emotional distress. Once the ruling is rendered, the burden of proof rests with Holloway, as he must prove that Morant didn’t act in self-defense. A hearing has been scheduled for April 2024, but may change following this ruling.