Ja Morant appears in court with the suspended Grizzlies star set to testify against teenager he allegedly punched during pickup game… one week before his slated NBA return

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant appeared in court Monday on charges that he punched a teenager during a basketball game at his home last year.

Morant, who is nearing the end of a 25-game unpaid suspension for brandishing a firearm in two separate viral videos earlier this year, is accused of attacking 18-year-old Josh Holloway at his mansion near Memphis.

According to Holloway, a high school basketball player, the incident occurred after he passed the ball to an NBA point guard and it slipped out of his hands before hitting him in the face.

The teen’s mother sued Morant on his behalf, alleging that he and his friends repeatedly hit her son in the head and face, even while on the ground.

In his counterclaim, the suspended Grizzlies player claims he merely acted in self-defense after Holloway “intentionally” threw a basketball at his face and then “clenched his fists and walked aggressively toward Morant as if he were going to attack him.” “

Grizzlies star Ja Morant appeared in court Monday on charges that he punched a teenager during a basketball game.

Morant, pictured with friend Davonte Park, is accused of attacking a 17-year-old at his mansion near Memphis last year.

Ty Morant, Jah’s father, testified in court after receiving a subpoena in the civil case.

Just a week before his scheduled return to the NBA against the New Orleans Pelicans, Morant was spotted in Shelby County District Court in Memphis on Monday preparing to take the stand and testify against Holloway’s version of events.

More than a dozen people are believed to have been subpoenaed in the case, including Morant’s father T and his close friend Davonte Park. His mother Jamie and former Grizzlies player Mike Miller also received court orders.

Morant’s countersuit also alleges that Holloway threatened to return to his home and “light it up like fireworks” after their argument.

It also alleges that Holloway later “lied to police about Morant showing a gun.”

He is also accused of “violating a court order by disclosing details of a closed case to the media,” according to the lawsuit. The leak allegedly cost Morant money, hurting his chances of making an NBA team this season.

Holloway, who was 17 at the time of the incident, told the Washington Post that Morant and Park (who was also named in the original lawsuit) “have not accepted responsibility for their actions.” I don’t think you should jump on a child during a basketball game, no matter what the situation might be.”

Morant was suspended for 25 games back in June after another video of him brandishing a firearm surfaced on social media, three months after he had already received an eight-game suspension for the same offense.

The Memphis point guard is expected to return next week after serving a 25-game NBA suspension.

Morant received a ban for brandishing a firearm in two separate viral videos earlier this year.

Holloway sued him before being suspended for eight games in March.

However, after serving a 21-game suspension, he is expected to return to Memphis against New Orleans next week.

“The people at the league office, along with Jha, his team and the Players Association, were in regular contact, almost weekly. There were such control points,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said over the weekend.

“Over the last few weeks we have put together a program for him and as far as I know he has done everything he has been asked to do.

“Like I said, we’ll talk at least once this week before he comes back and we’ll look at the program and make sure the conditions are in place for him to be successful in the future.”