Ja Morant is being sued for allegedly assaulting a child at his Tennessee home during a basketball game back in July.
TMZ Sports alleges the NBA player was involved in the assault of a 17-year-old during a basketball game in July at his Tennessee home. The complaint, which was filed in September in Shelby County, has since been sealed. The teen is said to have told police that Morant and he got into a verbal altercation while they were playing pickup basketball at the residence. The plaintiff asserts that when the debate quickly heated up, he tossed a basketball at Morant and “accidentally” struck him in the face.

The teen said in court filings that the Grizzlies point guard then approached him, placed his chin on his shoulder, and asked a witness, “Should I do it to him?” He was reportedly knocked to the ground by Morant after striking him “with a clenched hand.” The 17-year-old proceeded by claiming that when Morant “kept poking him while on the ground,” another man intervened and started punching the victim as well. According to the police report on the victim’s injuries, the teen had “a massive knot” on his head as a result of the attack. The teen was struck, according to the police, but Morant said it was all self-defense. The NBA player allegedly claimed that during the disagreement, the plaintiff “intentionally” tossed the basketball at him before “approaching (him) as if he wanted to fight.” While refusing to give his identify to authorities, Morant said, “his brother” was the other individual to join in on the incident.

According to TMZ Sports, the brawl was eventually broken up by onlookers shortly after it started. The teen “made vocal threats indicating he’d ‘fire his house up'” while he was being led off the premises, Morant reportedly told police, according to the site. The comment “placed Morand and his family in terror,” according to the police. After thereafter, there was a police investigation that lasted for a few weeks until the case was formally presented to the district attorney’s office on October 4. Ultimately, the DA decided not to charge Morant. Morant and his boyhood buddy Davonte Pack are named as defendants in the case according to court documents, although it’s unclear what the plaintiff is claiming in the lawsuit. After being selected to his first-ever All-Star squad last year, the 23-year-old point guard has swiftly established himself as one of the top players in the NBA and is still a strong chance to win the MVP award this season. – Steve Sijenyi