Ja Morant’s path of destructive behavior is much more serious than the public initially realized. A Washington Post report last week detailed an incident between Morant and a shoe salesman in Memphis that the star initially downplayed.
Morant recently came back from an eight-game suspension for waving a gun on Instagram live while he was in a Denver strip club. He has a string of incidents that includes punching teenage basketball player Joshua Holloway in his backyard after a pickup basketball game, allegedly pointing a red laser at a Pacers player from a car that he and his friends were riding in, allegedly assaulting a mall cop, and the incident with the Memphis shoe salesman.
Givon Busby described the situation to the Post as terrifying. He said that he worked at Finish Line in the Wolfchase Galleria Mall on a busy day and was servicing several customers at once. Morant’s mother, Jamie Morant, was in the store at the time and alleged that Busby passed over her to help two white women.
The encounter continued with Busby informing Jamie that the store didn’t have the shoe she wanted in her size and that made her angrier, Busby described. He stated how she began to follow him around the store and yelled that she would call her son. Busby’s managers sent him to the back because they feared for his safety.
Busby said that he didn’t learn that her son was Ja until he arrived in the store with nine other people.
“Where’s the short guy with the dreads?” Morant kept shouting, according to Busby.
Busby then said Morant went into a part of the store that customers weren’t allowed in and spotted him through the window of the stock room.
Morant then allegedly shouted, “I’m gonna wait until you get off work.”
“I thought, ‘Oh, he’s really trying to get me,” Busby said. “Like, he’s trying to hurt me.’”
After the incident was over, Busby said his managers sent him home. He reportedly had to slip out of the mall unnoticed for fear of Morant might be waiting on him.
“I was actually scared to walk out because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Busby said. “I’ve never been in a situation like that ever in my life.”
According to police reports, neither Ja nor Jamie wasn’t listed in the Memphis Police report and the potential offense was listed as “intimidation.” Busby stated the Memphis police department never followed up after his initial report and he felt like they thought he was lying.
He also claimed that Ja and Jamie’s names weren’t listed on the police report to purposely hide it from the public. The Memphis Police Department confirmed that their names weren’t listed on the report, saying at the time they didn’t know everyone involved in the incident and told Busby that they would have to check the security footage at the store, according to reports.
Ja told Jalen Rose that a lot of reports about him were false in a sit-down interview that aired on ESPN last month. Ja also spoke on the situation between him and Busby.
“I went to make sure my mom was safe,” Morant said to Rose in his interview. “Once I realized that, you know, I left the scene again.”
Busby said that he would not attempt to sue Morant because he is focused on school and doesn’t have the time for a legal battle.
The Washington Post also highlighted another incident that involved Ja, his family, and his friends at his younger sister high school volleyball game. Ja and his acquaintances allegedly threatened another group of high school students that got into a verbal altercation with his sister. It was also reported by TMZ sports that Ja slapped a phone out of one of the teenagers hand who was involved.
According to reports, both incidents should have been followed up by the Grizzlies and the NBA because they involved police, per the league’s policy. The alleged victims, including Busby, said that no one from the Grizzlies or NBA reached out for a follow up.
This news was first reported on last week and the NBA has yet to respond, which could be a good thing for the Grizzlies and their star ahead of the playoffs that are set to start Saturday.
