As one of the most exciting stars in the NBA today, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has thousands of fans all around the globe. After bursting onto the scene, winning Rookie of the Year after becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Morant has since made two All-Star appearances. In addition to his personal accolades, the Dalzell, South Carolina native has also helped the Grizzlies reach the playoffs in their past two seasons.
Unfortunately, as much fame as Morant receives from his success on the court, he’s also been linked to several off-court incidents that continue to raise eyebrows. The most recent one came in early February when the NBA had to investigate a post-game situation where Morant’s entourage was allegedly pointing a red laser, which may or may not have been attached to a gun aimed at members affiliated with the Indiana Pacers.
But we’re now receiving more details about the other incident from this past offseason when the Grizzlies star was sued for punching a teenager during a pickup basketball game, which we’ll get to in a bit.
According to Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Post, Morant was also in a previously unreported encounter with the head of security at a parking lot of a Memphis mall.
This occurred two months after the Grizzlies were eliminated from the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors. It began when his mother got into a verbal argument with an employee at Finish Line, prompting her to call Morant, who showed up with at least nine other people.
They were then confronted by the mall’s director of security, who asked them to leave, but Morant refused. This situation quickly escalated with a “verbal confrontation” before a member of the group supposedly shoved the security director in the head.
A police report was filed, which includes this bit: “As the group was leaving the premises, Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time he gets off.’ No arrests were made.
Ja Morant’s altercation in the Memphis mall parking lot
Just four days after the confrontation in the mall parking lot, the well-known pickup basketball incident occurred, where Morant struck a 17-year-old boy in the head at least 12-13 times. He was hit so hard by Morant and his friend that he was left with a “large knot” on the side of his head.
This teenager adds that Morant retreated to his house, only to re-emerge with a gun that could be visibly seen from the waistband of his pants, with his hand placed on the weapon. Morant’s dad, Tee, reportedly began yelling at Ja, saying, “No, no, no. Go back. Go back in the house.” Police did not directly ask Morant whether he flashed a gun or not, but they did reportedly discuss the topic.
Morant told police he was acting in self-defense after the boy threw a basketball at him. He also added that the boy allegedly shouted, “I’m gonna come back and light this place up like fireworks.”, which caused Morant to file a police report several weeks later, saying he and his family felt threatened. Prosecutors found that there was “not enough evidence to proceed with any charges.”
But the teenager told a different story, saying he only threw the ball at Morant after the Grizzlies guard threw the ball hard at his chest to check the ball in first. So, the boy responded by tossing it right back to Morant, only it slipped through his hands, hitting him in the chin.
So Morant and a friend struck the boy in his shoulder, the back of his head, and his face. The 17-year-old suggested the punches were as if he were in an MMA bout. The teenager and his mother later sued Morant and his friend, which is currently ongoing, but has been sealed from the public.
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