MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — NBA star Ja Morant testified in court Monday that a teenager hit him in the face with a one-handed basketball pass from close range during a pick-up game last year and that a Memphis Grizzlies guard punched the teenager once. In the face.
Morant said on the stand that the teen hit him in the chest, pounded his fists and got into a fighting stance. The lawsuit was filed by Joshua Holloway, who was 17 when the brief fight broke out at a basketball game on a court located at the home of the NBA All-Star’s parents in the Memphis area on July 26, 2022.
Holloway, now 18, accuses Morant and his best friend, Davonte Buck, of assault, reckless endangerment, abuse, neglect and infliction of emotional distress. Morant, 24, said he and Buck punched Holloway once, and Buck’s blow sent Holloway to the ground.
Morant claims he was acting in self-defense after Holloway threw the ball at him and hit him in the chin while checking the ball. “Checking” is a common practice in catch games where two opposing players pass the ball to each other and check if their teammates are ready, often before the start of the game or after a foul is committed.
Lawyers for the NBA player say Morant is immune from liability under Tennessee’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows people who feel threatened in their homes to act forcefully in certain situations. The law is used in criminal cases, but Judge Carol Chumney’s ruling last month paved the way for Morant’s lawyers to apply it in the civil case and try to dismiss the lawsuit.
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No criminal charges have been brought against Morant. Buck was charged with misdemeanor assault in July, but that charge has since been dropped.
The NBA suspended Morant for the first 25 games this season after a video of him brandishing a gun was posted online. The video shows Morant sitting in the passenger seat of a car and was posted after he served an eight-game suspension in March for another video in which he displayed a gun at a Denver-area strip club.
Morant apologized for both videos.
During Monday’s hearing, Morant’s father, Ty Morant, testified that the family had for years invited young local basketball players and friends of Ja Morant to play on their home court. Morant’s parents cook a meal for the players after pickup games.
Holloway was invited to play several times and established a friendly relationship with the Morantes family. Ja Morant testified that the teen behaved well and showed respect to him and his family during previous visits.
On fight day, Holloway was guarded by Morant, who dominated the offense and repeatedly led his team to victory during the highly competitive matches played throughout the day. Ty Morant testified that he was urging Holloway to play hard and “go to Ja,” but Holloway seemed frustrated and began “bickering back and forth” with Ja Morant.
During Morant’s testimony, he re-enacted the altercation with his attorney, Keenan Carter, and Holloway’s attorney, Rebecca Adelman. Both attorneys used basketballs they brought to the courtroom.
Ja Morant said he and Holloway were facing each other in a ball-checking position to start the game. Morant testified that Holloway put the ball on the floor in front of Ja Morant to initiate the check, rather than giving Morant a chest pass or bounce pass, which is customary.
Morant said he took that as a sign of disrespect and returned the ball to Holloway. The teenager then passed the ball back to Morant, who picked it up and returned a chest pass to Holloway, Morant said.
That’s when Holloway quickly threw a powerful one-handed pass with his right arm that hit Morant on the left side of the chin. Morant said he put his hands on the ground and was surprised by the powerful pass, which was painful.
After getting hit in the face, Morant asked Holloway, “What are you doing?” A phrase said by Morant that means: “Why did you do that?”
Morant testified that Holloway said nothing and did not apologize. The two then walked toward each other and stood facing each other before Holloway collided with Morant’s shoulder, pulled his pants up from the waist and pounded his fists, which Morant interpreted as a fighting stance.
“I thought he was about to hit me, so I swung first,” Morant said.
After Morant’s punch landed on Holloway’s face, Buck punched Holloway once in the head, knocking the teen to the ground, Morant said. Holloway was escorted off the court by former NBA player Mike Miller.
Adelman and Morant replayed the check ball situation, with Adelman launching the ball back to Morant who caught it. At Adelman’s request, Morant extended his arm to show how he punched Holloway with his fist just inches from the attorney’s face.
“You could have pushed Joshua,” Adelman said. “You could have talked to him, you could have guided him, you could have told him, ‘Man, that’s not what we’re doing here, leave my property.’
Adelman then asked: “Were these options available to you?”
Later in her questioning, Adelman asked Morant if he was afraid Holloway would hurt him.
The session continues on Tuesday.
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Ja Morant, the young and talented NBA star, made headlines last year when he described an incident in which he punched a teenager during a pick-up basketball game. The altercation, which occurred on a court in South Carolina, sparked a debate about athlete behavior off the professional stage. Morant’s actions and his subsequent apology shed light on the pressures and emotions that come with being a high-profile athlete, while also raising questions about sportsmanship and responsibility. As a rising star in the NBA, Morant’s actions and subsequent reflections offer important insights into the complexities of fame and competition.