Ja Morant caught a big break in the civil suit in which he is accused of assaulting a teen basketball player after a pickup game at the Grizzlies star’s house got heated.
Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney ruled Monday that Morant acted in self-defense when he punched then-17-year-old Joshua Holloway in the summer of 2022, ESPN reported.
In the altercation, Holloway allegedly was frustrated at losing multiple games and in a “check-ball situation” threw the ball one-handed and hit Morant in the face.
Morant then landed a punch on Holloway, and Morant’s friend Davonte Pack proceeded to punch Holloway as well.
Pack was charged with misdemeanor assault over the incident, and the charges were later dropped.
Holloway filed a civil suit against Morant in late 2022 over the altercation.
According to ESPN, Chumney ruled that Morant “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity” in Tennessee’s self-defense regulations, which would seem to be a major win for his case.
“We’re disappointed, and we will continue to take the steps necessary to protect and advocate for Joshua,” Holloway’s attorney, Rebecca Adelman, told the outlet.
Morant has tantalizing talent and athletic ability, and was seen for years as having the potential to succeed LeBron James and Steph Curry as the American face of the NBA.
Last year, a lengthy Washington Post story detailed the incident with Holloway as well as multiple other times Morant was accused of threatening violence.
Shortly after that article was published, Morant posted a video on Instagram in which he was in a Colorado strip club in a room that was papered wall-to-wall with cash, and he brandished a firearm.
He was suspended for eight games by the NBA for what was essentially a body of work for his conduct, of which that video was the final straw.
Then, Morant once again brandished a firearm in a social media video, and was suspended for the first 25 games of this current NBA season.
After just nine games this season, Morant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
News Summary:
- Ja Morant punched teenager in self-defense: judge in civil case
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