A Tennessee judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit against NBA star Ja Morant, ruling that he acted in self-defense during a 2022 pickup basketball game at his parents’ home.
Joshua Holloway, now a college player at Samford University, was 17 at the time of the incident.
He alleged Morant punched him during a game in July 2022 and sued for assault. However, Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney found Morant was legally immune under Tennessee’s self-defense laws.
Morant said he reacted after Holloway threw a basketball at his face “with a one-handed, baseball-style pass” during a check-ball exchange — a standard part of pickup play. At a December 2023 hearing, Morant testified he feared being injured when Holloway hit him, bumped his chest, balled his fists, and took a fighting stance.
In April 2024, Judge Chumney ruled Morant “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity,” supported by Tennessee’s “stand your ground” law, which allows individuals to use force if they feel threatened in their own homes — a provision typically applied in criminal cases, but allowed here in civil court.
During a January hearing, Holloway claimed Morant was the aggressor and used excessive force.
But Chumney ultimately found Holloway’s version inconsistent and less credible than other witnesses’, including former NBA player Mike Miller, who said the game turned after Holloway hit Morant in the face with the ball.
In her final ruling, Chumney emphasized the influence both men have, noting that they “each have unique opportunities to inspire youth and demonstrate mature leadership.”
She concluded, “This Court sincerely hopes that moving forward they each will be able to spend more of their time on the ‘court’ and less at the ‘courthouse.’”
Ja’s Grizzlies are currently in a postseason with OKC and will need to win a game soon to avoid being eliminated.
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