MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As Ja Morant prepares to return to the Memphis Grizzlies Court on Dec. 19, the point guard and his lawyers will head into the courtroom for the next phase of his legal saga.
This all stems from a pickup basketball game from 2022, when Morant's lawyers say then 17-year-old Joshua Holloway threw a basketball at Morant, which later hit the NBA star in the chin.
This is expected to be the first time Morant will testify in the case. The Grizzlies star, his mother and father Jamie and Tee Morant, friend Davonte Pack, Mike Miller were subpoenaed to testify at the end of November.
Monday will start the likely days-long trial, over whether or not Morant is immune from liability under Tennessee's "Stand Your Ground Law."
Morant's lawyers say the basketball player acted in self-defense when Holloway threw the basketball at Morant.
In July, Holloway's lawyer Rachel Adelman called this move by Morant's legal team a "Hail Mary of Hail Marys." Adelman went on to tell ABC24, if Morant were to be declared immune, this would deprive Holloway of his right to a jury trial.
"We believe that the stand your ground law is in direct contravention with Mr. Holloway's right to trial by jury, it removes the right to trial by jury, it denies him the right to have a trial by jury and instead it would be the judge determining whether or not Mr. Morant used justified force," said Adelman.
Adelman tells ABC24 Holloway is expected to testify Tuesday, Dec. 11, after he was also subpoenaed in November. Adelman says Morant, his family and friends are expected to testify Monday.