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Ja Morant, the now-former Memphis Grizzlies star, is on his way to Portland after a tumultuous couple of years in the Shelby County legal system. The Grizzlies traded Morant to the Trail Blazers on June 29.
Morant's last few years in Memphis have had the shadow of a lawsuit hanging over him. In September 2022, a then-Memphis high school basketball standout sued Morant and his close friend Davonte Pack after a scuffle on a basketball court.
Though Morant is soon to reside in the Portland area, and he has been dismissed from the lawsuit, the case will continue, and Morant could be roped back in sometime in the future.
The case has lingered for nearly four years as a spectacle. In December 2023, Morant appeared in court for a hearing where he was on the stand for hours. At one point during his testimony, a basketball was passed back and forth as Morant explained how he got hit in the face with a ball during the pickup game before he punched Joshua Holloway.
In April 2025, Morant was dismissed from the lawsuit when Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Carol Chumney ruled he acted in self-defense when he punched Holloway. Attorneys for Holloway requested permission to appeal that ruling, which Chumney denied, effectively ending Morant's role in the case.
Morant has also since dropped a counter lawsuit, alleging Holloway's comments to police could have cost him millions on his NBA contract.
Despite Ja's dismissal, the case is not over. Holloway also sued Pack, who is accused of punching Holloway after Morant had punched him. The same attorneys representing Morant are also representing Pack.
Pack was the only person to face criminal charges in the case. In July 2023, Pack was arrested and charged with misdemeanor simple assault after he admitted to punching Holloway in a deposition. Those charges were quickly dismissed by prosecutors in November of the same year.
A trial is currently scheduled for May 2027, which could determine Pack's culpability. Pack has, in depositions, said he has little money of his own.
Once the case has officially come to a close, there is likely to be a series of appeals regardless of who comes out victorious. Once a case has ended in the court it originated from, attorneys do not have to request permission to appeal it.
Despite being traded across the country, Morant's legal business in Memphis could continue, though. Once the case has been completed in circuit court, Morant could be pulled back into the case if Holloway's attorneys appeal Chumney's ruling that he acted in self-defense.
But that possibility could happen later next year or years down the line. The case has been marred by delays as Holloway, now a college player who transferred to the University of Memphis this offseason, has changed attorneys multiple times throughout the case's duration.
Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and [email protected], and followed on X @LucasFinton.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What happens to Ja Morant's lawsuit after being traded to Portland?
Continue reading...
Morant's last few years in Memphis have had the shadow of a lawsuit hanging over him. In September 2022, a then-Memphis high school basketball standout sued Morant and his close friend Davonte Pack after a scuffle on a basketball court.
Though Morant is soon to reside in the Portland area, and he has been dismissed from the lawsuit, the case will continue, and Morant could be roped back in sometime in the future.
The case has lingered for nearly four years as a spectacle. In December 2023, Morant appeared in court for a hearing where he was on the stand for hours. At one point during his testimony, a basketball was passed back and forth as Morant explained how he got hit in the face with a ball during the pickup game before he punched Joshua Holloway.
In April 2025, Morant was dismissed from the lawsuit when Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Carol Chumney ruled he acted in self-defense when he punched Holloway. Attorneys for Holloway requested permission to appeal that ruling, which Chumney denied, effectively ending Morant's role in the case.
Morant has also since dropped a counter lawsuit, alleging Holloway's comments to police could have cost him millions on his NBA contract.
Ja Morant's friend, Davonte Pack, remains ensnared in lawsuit
Despite Ja's dismissal, the case is not over. Holloway also sued Pack, who is accused of punching Holloway after Morant had punched him. The same attorneys representing Morant are also representing Pack.
Pack was the only person to face criminal charges in the case. In July 2023, Pack was arrested and charged with misdemeanor simple assault after he admitted to punching Holloway in a deposition. Those charges were quickly dismissed by prosecutors in November of the same year.
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A trial is currently scheduled for May 2027, which could determine Pack's culpability. Pack has, in depositions, said he has little money of his own.
Once the case has officially come to a close, there is likely to be a series of appeals regardless of who comes out victorious. Once a case has ended in the court it originated from, attorneys do not have to request permission to appeal it.
Despite being traded across the country, Morant's legal business in Memphis could continue, though. Once the case has been completed in circuit court, Morant could be pulled back into the case if Holloway's attorneys appeal Chumney's ruling that he acted in self-defense.
But that possibility could happen later next year or years down the line. The case has been marred by delays as Holloway, now a college player who transferred to the University of Memphis this offseason, has changed attorneys multiple times throughout the case's duration.
Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and [email protected], and followed on X @LucasFinton.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What happens to Ja Morant's lawsuit after being traded to Portland?
Continue reading...
