Ja Morant is looking like a man who can be justified soon.
A two-year-old lawsuit launched by the teenager who accused Morant of punching him during a pickup basketball game amid an altercation is now being undercut by a claim of self-defense after ruling this week from the judge presiding over the case.
After weeks of considering all the testimony, Shelby County Court Circuit Judge Carol Chumney cited Tennessee law that states when self-defense can be applied. Morant “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity,” the judge wrote in a 44-page ruling concluding that Morant can argue he was acting in self-defense.
Joshua Holloway, then 17 years old at the time of the incident, sued Morant in September 2022. In a now-viral video where he discussed what happened with police, Holloway claimed the Grizzlies point guard hit him at the NBA star’s home in Tennessee during a competitive basketball game.
The incident occurred when his actions on and off the NBA hardwood complicated his ascension as one of the league’s young faces. Now, in Angel Reese’s posted words, “make sure that apology is “as loud as the disrespect.”
“We’re disappointed and will continue to take the steps necessary to protect and advocate for Joshua,” Holloway’s attorney Rebecca Adelman told ESPN on Tuesday.
Last July, the judge boosted Morant’s morale by agreeing to consider whether the Memphis Grizzlies frontman’s legal team may argue that the guard acted in self-defense.
Holloway alleges that during an in-game argument, he threw a ball at Morant and accidentally hit him in the face. He alleged Morant then became enraged and hit him on the chin with a closed fist. Morant and his best friend, Davonte Pack, were accused of assault, reckless endangerment, abuse or neglect, and infliction of emotional distress in the lawsuit.
Morant remained steadfast in arguing that he was acting in self-defense. During the December court proceeding, he stated he was trying to protect himself from harm. The NBA handed Morant heavy sanctions for his activities, mainly those related to multiple firearms-related incidents. He served a 25-game suspension to start the season.
However, Morant is not in the clear. The lawsuit is still moving forward regardless of the ruling, as Holloway’s lawyers can seek to persuade a jury that the NBA player’s action did not constitute self-defense.The trial, originally slated for this month, is expected to be pushed to a later date.
