In early March this year, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was accused of several violent incidents including punching a teenager (17). Morant claimed that he was acting in self-defense against the teen, and the boy acted aggressively by showing signs of wanting to cause an altercation. Morant told police officers that the teen threatened him by saying he was “gonna come back and light this place up like fireworks.” The teen told police officers that he considered Morant a mentor and had been to Morant’s house in the past to play pickup games. He alleged that Morant kept hitting him after he fell to the ground and continued being attacked by his friends. All witnesses that were interviewed support Morant’s version of the events and neither party has been interviewed on this matter. The teen’s mother filed the lawsuit last year; however, he filed it under his own name after he turned 18 last month. In recent court filings, Morant alleged that he is the victim of slander, battery, and assault by the teen. In filing the countersuit, Morant claimed that the teen could have ended his career by throwing a basketball at his face. Morant now faces the burden of proof against the teen in this countersuit, and with the Memphis Grizzlies being the number 2 seed in the western conference playoffs, there seems to be a lot of pressure on the young superstar.
Sources:
The Daily Memphian
The Washington Post
