Judge Dismisses Teenager’s Lawsuit Against Ja Morant Punching Him

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Ja Morant in which a teenager accused the Memphis Grizzlies star of punching him.

The incident took place at the teenager Joshua Holloway’s parents’ home in 2022 during a pickup game.

Judge Carol Chumney of Shelby County Circuit said in her ruling that Morant acted in self-defense and was immune from civil liability.

Morant’se case was built around self-defense, saying he was worried about getting hurt after the teen hit him in the face with the ball. Morant also testified that Holloway balled his fists and got into a fighting stance before Morant threw his punch.

Morant also claimed Holloway aggressively threw the basketball at him as if he were throwing a baseball when checking the ball during the 1-on-1 game.

Tennessee has a “stand your ground” law, allowing people who feel threatened at their homes to act with force in certain situations.

Chumney also ruled that Holloway’s testimony was not credible and contradicts testimony from other witnesses. Former NBA player Mike Miller was at the house when the fight occurred and was among those who testified.

The judge concluded that, “This Court sincerely hopes that moving forward they each will be able to spend more of their time on the ‘court’ and less at the ‘courthouse.'”

Morant Shifts Focus To Thunder

With the lawsuit dismissed, Morant can really focus on the Grizzlies’ Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder have looked utterly dominant through the first two games, so Memphis will be hoping some home cooking can shift momentum.

Morant is averaging 20.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, a steal, and a block through the opening two games. He has shot just 38.1 percent from the field including 25 percent from three. He hasn’t been great from the free-throw line, either, at 71.4 percent.

Game 3 is Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. EST.