Ja Morant's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss an ongoing civil suit against the Memphis Grizzlies star guard this week, according to The Commercial Appeal. The suit stems from an altercation between Morant and a teenager last year that occurred during a pickup basketball game at the player's home. Morant's attorneys are claiming that their client acted in self-defense when he struck Josh Holloway, who was 17 at the time.
"Morant acted in self-defense when [Holloway] intentionally struck him in the face with a basketball at Mr. Morant's family home last July," the motion to dismiss read. "He therefore enjoys civil immunity under the [Self-Defense Immunity] Statute."
The motion, which was filed on Monday, requires a hearing within 40 days of filing and that all other aspects of the civil case are to be paused, per Morant's attorneys.
Ja's father, Tee Morant, who was present during the altercation, provided testimony in the case. Tee said that he was encouraging Holloway to play aggressively against Ja.
"I was telling Josh to go at Ja … act like he's not an NBA player as far as confidence purposes," Morant said. "You're going to Oak Hill. So once you get there, if you can compete against Ja at this level -- once you get there, it should be easier."
Tee Morant also testified that he heard Holloway threaten to shoot at Morant's house. For now, the case remains ongoing.
In addition to this lawsuit, Morant has also been dealing with some other off-court issues recently. He will be suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 NBA season as a result of his second incident involving holding a gun in a social media video. Shortly after the league announced his punishment, Morant released a statement apologizing for his actions and vowing to be better.
"I've had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I've caused," Morant said in the statement. "I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera -- who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me -- I'm sorry for the harm I've done. To the kids who look up to me, I'm sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I'm going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I'm going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I'm going to make it up to you, I promise.
"I'm spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision making. I'm also going to be training so that I'm ready to go when I can be back on the court. I know my teammates are going to hold it down and I'm so sorry I won't be out there with you at the beginning of the season. I hope you'll give me the chance to prove to you over time I'm a better man than what I've been showing you."
