Ja Morant is being sued for allegedly punching a 17-year-old minor during a pickup basketball game, according to reports.
The lawsuit was filed in Shelby County, Tennessee, back in September. The basis for the suit is connected to an incident that occurred on July 26, 2022 at Morant’s residence in Eads, Tennessee.
Did Ja Morant Beat Up A 17-Year-Old Kid?
According to court documents, which have since been sealed, the 17-year-old in question told police that he was playing in a pickup basketball game with Morant, at the Memphis Grizzlies star’s residence, when the two got into an argument.
As the argument escalated, the 17-year-old allegedly threw a basketball that hit Morant in the face. Morant, according to the teenager, then approached and asked another individual standing close by “Should I do it to him?”
That’s when Morant allegedly punched the teenager knocking him to the ground, and allegedly continued to strike the teen multiple times.
The teenager also alleges that another man jumped in and began hitting him as well.
Police documents state that officers noted “a large knot” on his head.
The documents also state that Morant admitted to striking the teenager, but stated it was in self-defense. Morant said the teenager “intentionally” threw the ball at him and “began to approach him as if he wanted to fight.”
Both Morant and the teenage plaintiff concede that the fight was broken up almost immediately by spectators.
Did Teenager Threaten Ja Morant’s Family?
Morant allegedly told the police that the teenager “made verbal threats stating he’d ‘light his house up'” as he was being taken off the property. Morant said “he and his family were put in fear by the statement.”
The allegations were investigated by the police for several weeks and the case was submitted to the district attorney on Oct. 4. After a month of reviewing the case the DA declined to prosecute.
The question now becomes what will happen as a result of the lawsuit. Will Morant settle or fight it?
What allegedly happened at Morant’s home happens in pickup games all around the world. People are competing, things get heated and they can sometimes escalate.
As a man and a professional athlete, Morant needs to guard against these types of incidents occurring.
Will This Incident Hurt Ja Morant’s Image?
Morant sees himself as a man of the people and no doubt likes to connect with people on a human level. That’s great and in an ideal world we applaud athletes and celebrities that do that.
But having people you don’t know personally that may be fringe associates or connections to people you do know at your home is a different thing entirely.
Many opportunities can arise for something bad to happen, and because it’s your home and you are the person everyone knows, things can escalate quickly.
Maybe it was a young up-and-coming baller going at a pro and trying to make a name for himself. Maybe the teenage plaintiff came at Morant, like he wanted to fight.
Maybe Morant was getting shown up and didn’t like it. Only the people that were there know for sure.
