Ja Morant Attorneys Want To Impose ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law As A Defense In Lawsuit

The attorneys for suspended Memphis Grizzlies starting point guard Ja Morant want to utilize the “stand your ground” defense in the lawsuit filed against him by a basketball player.

According to The Associated Press, Morant’s attorneys have presented another defense before the judge hearing the case of the Grizzles player assaulting a then-17-year-old player at the NBA player’s residence last year.

Circuit Court Judge Carol Chumney said Morant’s attorneys could argue that he hit the teenager in self-defense during the pickup game. They are trying to receive immunity for Morant under Tennessee law.

The then-teenager, Joshua Holloway, filed the lawsuit after engaging in a scuffle in July 2022 while at the home of Morant.

Morant’s attorneys have already admitted that he punched Holloway after the teenager threw a basketball at Morant and it hit him in the chin. In an earlier motion, they stated he should be immune from liability under Tennessee’s “stand your ground” law.

Judge Chumney has informed both sides that she would like to hear from lawyers in the case, including those representing the Tennessee Attorney General. She wants to determine if the “Stand Your Ground” law applies under the state Constitution in this case.

Holloway, 17 at the time of the incident, accuses Morant and his close friend, Davonte Pack, of assault, reckless endangerment, abuse or neglect, and infliction of emotional distress. There have been no criminal charges filed against both men. Holloway filed the lawsuit in September 2022 after the incident at Morant’s home in Eads, Tennessee, on July 26, 2022.

Morant has also filed a countersuit accusing Holloway of slander, battery, and assault.

In June 2023, the NBA suspended the Grizzlies’ All-Star guard for the first 25 games of the 2023–24 season for conduct detrimental to the league. The 23-year-old was suspended for eight games in March 2023 following another incident when he was seen with a gun on an Instagram Live video at a Denver nightclub.