Ja Morant is facing trial for the very public assault charges levied against him by Joshua Holloway, a high school basketball star who claims he was attacked by Morant and his entourage in Morant’s home in 2022. In a detailed court proceeding, Morant claimed he was acting in self-defense due to brewing tension and Holloway making aggressive gestures.
“Him pulling up his shorts, where I’m from, that’s a fighting stance. So, I hit him first, to protect myself.”
The situation transpired starting with a situation where Holloway threw the ball at Morant too aggressively, leading to Morant explaining basketball plays in a court demonstration. After Morant asked Holloway ‘What you on?’, Holloway pulled up his shorts, which led to Morant swinging first.
This case has been played out publicly for over a year after occurring in July 2022. The now 19-year-old Holloway has gone to the fullest extent of the law to take Morant to trial over the situation, which has occurred smack dab in the middle of a swirl of controversies around Morant.
The Grizzlies point guard has served 22 games of the 25-game suspension handed to him by the NBA for flashing a gun on Instagram Live for the second time in three months, in the middle of other alleged indiscretions like his entourage pointing red laser pointers at the Indiana Pacers bus.
Court Proceedings Have Revealed Interesting Details From The Altercation
What exactly transpired in Morant’s house in July 2022 has been unclear up until now, but both sides have gotten a chance to share their sides under oath.
Morant and other eyewitnesses claim that Holloway got progressively angrier as the day wore on because he was on the losing end of multiple games. This led to a supposed outburst where Holloway hit Morant in the face with the ball and gestured towards his fist along with pulling up his pants. Morant felt threatened and punched Holloway once in self-defense. Morant’s lawyers are hoping Tennessee’s self-defense laws protect him in this situation.
Holloway’s lawyer sought to prove the danger her client was in on the receiving end of a punch from Morant while claiming the legal system should treat both equally. She showed highlights of Morant’s attempted dunk on Kevin Love to illustrate the ferocity Morant possesses in his hands and that it could’ve ended worse for Holloway. The side also disputes Morant’s claim that Holloway put his fists up as well as the ferocity with which the ball that struck Morant was thrown.
The ball throw argument led to the difference between a check pass and an actual pass being illustrated in court, with Morant claiming he’s never had a ball hit him like that in a check-ball situation. Morant also said that Holloway said he would ‘light this place up like a firework show’, which the Grizzlies guard thinks was a reference to guns.
Morant also discussed his unique position in Memphis society as a celebrity, which is why he had to organize pickup games at his house which led to this situation. He acknowledged his position as a future star in the NBA and a role model. Hopefully, all the incidents in 2023 lead to changes in Morant’s behavior in 2024.
Ja is expected to return from suspension on December 19 to face the New Orleans Pelicans, a much-needed addition to the Grizz who lost to the Dallas Mavericks last night and are 6-16 on the season.
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