Grizzlies star Ja Morant can now completely shift his focus to the future after a resolution has been made in a court case unrelated to the 25-game suspension he served to start the 2023-24 season.
In December, Morant, his father, Tee and longtime friend, Davonte Pack took the stand to testify at Shelby County Circuit Court in Memphis, Tenn — each was called to the stand in a civil immunity hearing from an incident at a pickup game in July of 2022.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, no criminal charges were pressed against Morant. Months after the case was taken to trial, the judge ruled in Morant's favor.
Why was Ja Morant in court? Here is why Memphis' star guard, his father and his friend testified on the stand and why the judge ruled in Morant's favor.
MORE: Explaining Ja Morant's suspension to start 2023-24 NBA season
Ja Morant court verdict
On Monday, April 8, a Tennessee judge ruled that Morant fairly acted in self-defense when he punched a teenager in July 2022, according to court documents.
The documents further explain that Morant "enjoys a presumption of civil immunity" under the self-defense immunity statute in Tennessee. Here is more from the court documents:
A person who is unlawfully attacked or who reasonably fears an unlawful attack may use as much force in self-defense as reasonably appears necessary.
The court concluded that Morant fairly raised self-defense as its findings suggested that the plaintiff was the provocateur of the altercation. Morant's punch was described as a "chin check," reflecting the use of ordinary force. The plaintiff's ability to drive himself home supported a lack of overwhelming force used.
Why was Ja Morant in court?
Ja Morant was in court for a civil case stemming from an incident in which he punched a teenage basketball player during a pickup game in July of 2022. The incident occurred while the two were checking the ball to one another.
While Morant was never criminally charged for the incident, Joshua Holloway, the teenager that Morant punched, filed a lawsuit against the Grizzlies star. Misdemeanor assault charges were filed against Pack, who, in a deposition, admitted to hitting Holloway after Morant did.
During a court hearing on Monday, Dec. 11, Morant was questioned about the circumstances that led to the pickup game incident.
According to updates from Geoff Calkins and Drew Hill from the Daily Memphian, the Dec. 11 hearing consisted of Holloway's attorney, Rebecca Adelman, showing photos and videos featuring highlights that show Morant's athleticism to illustrate "the type of force that came at Holloway."
Adelman reportedly continued by demonstrating her impression of checking by passing it to Keenan Carter, one of Morant's attorneys. Later, Morant and Carter demonstrated to the court their impression of what checking a ball in pickup basketball looks like.
This is really what we are doing here. I mean… pic.twitter.com/Pt7twF0xZe
— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) December 11, 2023
While being questioned by Carter, Morant explained that he acted in self-defense, sharing that while checking the ball, Holloway "fired the ball" at him with a one-handed throw that hit the left side of his face.
Morant added that he gave Holloway an opportunity to apologize, before responding, "What you on?" adding that Holloway did not respond and pulled his pants up.
"Him pulling up his shorts, where I'm from, that's a fighting stance," Morant added, saying Holloway stepped toward him. As the two met chest to chest, Morant explained that he hit Holloway first to protect himself.
What did Ja Morant do?
Ja Morant has admitted to punching Joshua Holloway once as they checked the ball to one another during a summer pickup game.
Accounts from Holloway and Morant vary on how things devolved into an altercation but both sides have indicated that it stemmed from a disagreement based on how the ball was checked.
Morant's account from the police report echoes what he said in court, saying that Holloway intentionally struck him with the ball. He added that he took Holloway's action of pulling his pants up as a sign that he wanted to fight.
Morant admitted to swinging first before clarifying that "the ball was the first swing to me."
In the police report, however, Holloway claims that he threw the ball at Morant as hard as it had been thrown to him, adding that the ball slipped through Morant's hands before hitting him in the chin.
Holloway alleges that Morant then asked his friend, "Do I do it to him?" before hitting him "12 to 13 times," adding that his friend struck him an additional four or five times.
Holloway also alleged that Morant brandished a firearm.
"Ja Morant came outside with his gun. I saw his gun. His dad was yelling at him like no, no, no go back. Go back in the house," said Holloway in a statement to police.
Records show that Morant did not deny the claim during initial questioning while Morant's father and former NBA veteran Mike Miller, who were both there, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Was Ja Morant suspended for the pickup game incident?
No, Ja Morant was not suspended for the pickup game incident from July 2022.
On June 16, the NBA announced that Morant had been suspended for 25 games without pay for "conduct detrimental to the league," citing an incident in which he brandished a firearm in a car during a video streamed to Instagram Live on May 13.
The live-streamed incident came less than two months after he displayed a firearm on Instagram Live "while in an intoxicated state at a Denver area nightclub."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver offered the following statement regarding Morant:
Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games. The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.
For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time. Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.
