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Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension will end in just over a week, but he’s legally still dealing with his past mistakes.
The 24-year-old appeared in court Monday to give his side of the story after a teenager named Joshua Hollaway accused him of punching him in 2022.
The then 17-year-old was playing a pickup game of basketball at Morant’s home when he reportedly became a sore loser, and when he checked the ball to Morant, the ball hit the NBA star in the face.
The Memphis Grizzlies star believed the ball was used as a weapon and defended himself by punching the teen.
During the altercation, Morant asked, “What you on?” and instead of responding, Holloway pulled up his pants, signaling he was ready to get physical.
“Him pulling up his shorts, where I’m from, that’s a fighting stance,” Morant said in court before admitting he threw the first blow.
“I hit him first — to protect myself,” Morant added, demonstrating the entire ordeal.
Ja’s father, Tee Morant, also took the stand to describe the intensity of the games at the house, not hiding the fact that he told the younger players not to take it easier on Ja and instead use the opportunity to improve their skills.
“For the most part, I was talking to Josh and [Kyler Dandridge]…because Josh was about to go to Oak Hill, and Oak Hill is highly competitive,” Tee said before acknowledging that Ja and Holloway shared some in-game banter. “I think it was great competition. Of course both of them were barking at each other, talking trash, which is what you do.”
Others set to testify this week include Ja’s friend Davonte Pack, who also punched Hollaway –for which the charges were later dropped– as well as his mother Jamie, who witnessed the fight.
Once the case wraps, hopefully, it’s the last bit of trouble we see the star point guard in after flashing a gun twice on Instagram Live, which led to his 25-game suspension and a steady roasting on social media.
See how social media is reacting to Morant’s court testimony below.
