It seems that Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant and his abhorrent behavior only became public knowledge months after incidents last summer because police officials in the city were unwilling to put serious effort into the various complaint investigations.
Ja Morant’s career has undergone a bit of a makeover in recent months. Heading into the new year, his reputation around the league started to take major hits as he was linked to several unsavory allegations. Including members of his entourage threatening opposing players and an alleged incident where he threatened and assaulted a teenager after a pick-up basketball game at his house.
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However, everything hit a tipping point in March when he was suspended after posting a social media video of him brandishing a firearm at a Colorado nightclub. The video went viral and got him in hot water with the Memphis Grizzlies and the NBA. He was hit with an eight-game suspension and forced to seek out help for his off-the-court issues. Now, he is back with his team and they are flourishing as they head into the postseason.
Since the news cycle is constantly churning, the narrative on him has flipped again and his questionable history in his personal life has become an afterthought for many. That may soon change following a Thursday expose on Ja Morant from the Washington Post.
The story from today paints a worrisome picture of Memphis police and how they handled multiple allegations and complaints against the city’s favorite basketball star.
Ja Morant stats (’22-’23): 26.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 8.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 31% 3PT
Joshua Holloway is the teenager who claimed Morant and a pal assaulted him during the summer after pick-up a game. However, after filing the complaint, the Post claims the officers assigned to the case waited over a month to talk to Ja Morant about the claim and avoided asking key questions. By October records show they shelved that case.
“[Police] cited a lack of evidence following an investigation during which police did not indicate they interviewed a single witness about the teenager’s allegation and hadn’t identified Morant’s best friend who also allegedly punched Holloway.”
– Washington Post report
It was just the start of a pattern for the police whenever it came to formal complaints about Ja Morant and his posse’s unacceptable behavior, as officers “in multiple departments failed to ask basic questions or interview key witnesses, didn’t follow up with alleged victims and neglected investigative leads.”
In another instance, a shoe salesman claimed he was physically threatened by the two-time All-Star and hid cowering in the back of the store for nearly an hour to avoid a confrontation, but officials kept Morant’s name out of records and the salesman, Givon Busby, never heard from police after filing the complaint.
The report claims while records show the Memphis Grizzlies did work with police regarding various allegations, neither they nor the NBA followed up with victims to get more in-depth knowledge on the complaints about one of their top young superstars.