More details have emerged regarding Ja Morant's alleged assault of a minor during a pickup basketball game at the Grizzlies star's home.
TMZ first reported that a 17-year-old had filed a lawsuit in September after he claimed that Morant and another man struck him multiple times.
On Wednesday, The Washington Post revealed more information about the incident, including how Morant and the NBA have reacted to the allegations.
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Ja Morant assault allegations, explained
Last summer, Morant hosted a pickup basketball game at his home. A local high school player caught a hard pass from Morant to check the ball in, and he threw a similarly hard pass back.
That sparked an assault that led to injuries for the high-schooler, according to The Washington Post's reporting:
The teenager told police Morant then put his chin on the boy's shoulder and asked his friend, "Do I do it to him?" The friend responded, "Yeah, do it."
Morant then punched the boy in his jaw, the boy told police, and without warning, the friend struck him on the other side. "I fell to the ground, trying to cover my face, so I wouldn't get hit in the face," the boy told police. "I got, started getting hit, punched in my head, everything else."
The teenager claimed that Morant struck him "12 to 13 times," and the friend hit him "four or five times." He was left with a "large knot" on the side of his head, per a police report.
He told police that Morant then went inside and came back outside with his gun tucked into his pants.
"His dad was yelling at him, like: 'No, no, no. Go back. Go back in the house,'" he said.
The teenager's lawsuit, which a family attorney confirmed to The Washington Post had been filed, is currently under seal.
What did Ja Morant say about the allegations?
Morant claimed that he acted in self-defense, according to transcripts of Morant's interview with police obtained by The Washington Post. He acknowledged that he "swung first," but he portrayed the teenager as the aggressor because he threw the ball at his head and stepped toward him.
"The ball was to me the first hit," Morant said.
While detectives mentioned the accusation about Morant's gun, they did not ask Morant whether the description of events was accurate.
The Washington Post also reported that Morant filed a police report weeks after the incident because he felt that the teenager had threatened his family when he said, "I'm gonna come back and light this place up like fireworks."
Morant's agent, Jim Tanner, has referred to the allegations as "unsubstantiated rumors and gossip being put out by people motivated to tear Ja down and tarnish his reputation for their own financial gain."
"The incident with the teenage boy was purely self-defense," Tanner said. "Again, after this was fully investigated by law enforcement, they came to the decision not to charge Ja with any crime."
What did the NBA say about the allegations?
An NBA spokesperson told The Washington Post that the league "takes allegations of inappropriate conduct very seriously," adding that all teams are required to report "incidents involving players and law enforcement."
The Grizzlies declined to comment on the situation.
Will the NBA suspend Ja Morant?
It is unclear if the NBA will fine or suspend Morant. As of Wednesday, he was still available to play for the Grizzlies.
The NBA spokesperson wouldn't confirm whether the league had previously investigated the incident or planned to launch an investigation in the near future.
