Ja Morant has been caught up in a whirlpool of issues lately, and some could likely bring his basketball career to an end. Last season, Morant had an outstanding year on the court leading the Memphis Grizzlies to an incredible stint. Unfortunately, shortly after the Grizzlies exited the playoffs, Morant found himself in legal trouble. He was caught flashing a firearm on Instagram Live for the second time.
The first incident took place in May 2023, after which he was suspended for eight games. However, this incident led the NBA to slap him with a 25-game suspension. Amidst all this drama, concerns regarding Morant’s life outside of the league arose. There were multiple reports and allegations which stated Morant’s unruly behavior on the streets of Tennessee. One of them involved the assault of a 17-year-old boy named Joshua Holloway during a pickup game.
Ja Morant was accused of assault and threatening the boy with a gun. However, the case is currently underway and Morant has been dealing with it on the side. Recently, Holloway’s attorney, Rebecca Aldeman spoke against Morant to speak about the brutal beating the then-minor had received.
Rebecca Adelman, the attorney representing the plaintiff, has brought a basketball into the courtroom and is using a photo of Ja Morant jumping over Kevin Love as a visual aid
Adelman is showing clips of Ja dunking to demonstrate the kind of force directed at Mr. Holloway,… pic.twitter.com/SOxA1NprHI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 11, 2023
She used a picture of Ja dunking on Kevin Love, stating that he would’ve used the same amount of force to attack Holloway. Morant is popularly known for being hyper-athletic and physical on the court, which was used against him in court.
Ja Morant set to testify in court with father Tee Morant
It doesn’t seem fair that Ja Morant’s skill on the basketball court is being used against him in the court of law. However, despite Holloway’s report which claims he was assaulted, Morant speaks from a different perspective. Ja claimed that he acted out in self-defense. The NBA star also claimed that the boy had threatened his family which led him to file a police report of his own, according to Yahoo Sports. This is most of what Ja had to say about the case.
Ja Morant and his father, Tee, are set to testify in a civil lawsuit case related to an incident during a pickup basketball game at their house in July 2022.
Morant’s attorneys state that he acted in self-defense when he punched a teenage basketball player during the game.
(via… pic.twitter.com/c2RK7ckieP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 11, 2023
However, Ja and Tee Morant are expected to testify in court along with Davonte Pack as well. Pack was allegedly present at the scene when the incident took place. The police had initially issued an arrest warrant for Pack as he was also accused of assaulting Holloway with Morant. Pack was taken into custody and released on his recognizance shortly after. However, Morant longtime is notorious for his activities around town.
Ja Morant, Tee, and Davonte will be present on the stands during this week. Meanwhile, Morant is preparing to officially make his return to the NBA this season. He confirmed that the Grizzlies will be bringing him back on December 19, against the New Orleans Pelicans. While most fans were infuriated by his off-court life, many are now glad to see the young star back in action.