Ja Morant took a win in court on Monday after a Tennessee judge ruled that the Memphis Grizzlies star acted in self-defense when he punched a teenager during a pickup basketball game that was taking place at home in July 2022.
This new ruling comes after a December 2023 immunity hearing where Ja Morant admitted that he “swung first” on the teenager but the NBA star said he was only doing it to protect himself. Joshua Holloway who was 17-years-old at the time of the incident filed lawsuit in September 2022 claiming Morant assaulted him.
It all went down when Ja Morant was having pick up game at his home and it’s been documented that Holloway threw a basketball at Morant during a “check ball” situation and the ball hit Morant in the face.
After that, Morant stated that Holloway took a step towards him so he then stepped forward and punched the 17-year-old. In Monday’s filing, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Carol Chumney ruled Morant “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity” under Tennessee’s self-defense immunity statute and that the burden of proof shifts to Holloway and his legal team to prove that Morant didn’t act in self-defense.
“We’re disappointed, and we will continue to take the steps necessary to protect and advocate for Joshua,” Rebecca Adelman, Holloway’s attorney, told ESPN.
Morant’s attorney previously stated that Holloway’s false statements could cost Morant All-NBA status and potentially millions of dollars. They also claimed that Holloway initiated the incident when he threw a ball in the face of Morant and later threatened to use a gun. “Getting hit in the face with a basketball hurts; for a professional point guard like Mr. Morant, an injury to the eyes or nose could be career ending,” the filing read.