April 9, (THEWILL) – Tennessee Judge Carol Chumney has determined that Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant acted in self-defence when he punched a teenager during an altercation stemming from a pickup basketball game in 2022.
According to a court filing, Judge Chumney ruled on Monday that Morant “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity” under the state’s self-defence immunity statute. The ruling came during a civil immunity hearing in December 2023, where Morant testified that he only “swung first” in order “to protect myself” after the teenager, Joshua Holloway, allegedly threw the ball at Morant’s face and stepped toward the NBA star.
Holloway had previously filed a lawsuit in September 2022, accusing Morant of assault. However, the judge determined that the burden of proof falls on Holloway’s legal team to show the incident was not self-defence. With this ruling, a trial that was scheduled to begin later this month is now expected to be continued at a later date.
This legal victory comes amidst a tumultuous period for Morant, who has faced several off-court incidents during his NBA career. The league suspended him for 25 games earlier this season for conduct deemed detrimental, following a separate incident where he was seen holding a firearm. Morant’s season debut was delayed until December 19, and he played just nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
The Grizzlies, who were hoping to be a threat in the Western Conference playoff race, are now just playing out the string for the rest of the season with a disappointing 27-51 record, the third-worst in the conference.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
