Source: Don Juan Moore / Getty
Looks like embattled NBA superstar Ja Morant has just dodged another legal bullet as a judge has ruled in his favor in a case involving a physical altercation with a teenager during a pickup game in 2022.
According to TMZ, Ja Morant was handed a legal win when the judge overseeing a case where Morant was accused of putting hands on a then-17-year-old Joshua Holloway ruled that Morant was actually acting in self-defense when he hit Holloway when the two got into a scuffle on the court in Morant’s Eads, Tennessee, home. While many assumed this was another incident demonstrating Morant’s descent into the “thug” lifestyle he was seemingly embracing at the time, the judge felt Morant was justified in his actions, hence, handing the NBA player a victory in the case brought to him by the then-minor.
TMZ reports:
Joshua Holloway, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, sued Morant back in Sept. 2022, alleging the Grizzlies point guard roughed him up while the two were competing on a basketball court at Ja’s Eads, Tenn. home.
Holloway claimed that during an in-game argument, he threw a ball at Morant and accidentally hit him in the face. He alleged Morant then became enraged, and socked him with a closed fist.
Morant, however, later argued he was acting in self-defense … explaining during December court proceedings that he was simply trying to protect himself from harm.
Luckily for Ja, the Shelby County judge judge felt the same way and said as much in his 44-page ruling. The case will move forward with the trial set to get underway later this month, but with this ruling it seems like Ja might be able to get out of this situation without having to cough up much of his $197 million salary.
What do y’all think of the judge ruling in Ja’s favor? Let us know in the comments section below.
