MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The attorneys for the teen who accused Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant of punching him during a pick-up basketball game have filed a motion to withdraw from the ongoing civil lawsuit.
Rebecca Adelman and Leslie Ballin, who have been representing Joshua Holloway in the civil matter, filed the joint motion asking the court to allow them to withdraw as Holloway’s counsel.
The motion says, “the independent professional judgment of counsel has been affected and there exists a conflict with Plaintiff and Counter-Defendant (Holloway) requiring counsel to file a Joint Motion to Withdraw.” It did not go into further details about what the conflict entails.
This all comes after a judge ruled earlier in April that Ja Morant was acting in self-defense when he punched Holloway in July 2022, according to court documents.
During the pickup basketball game, Holloway reportedly hurled a hard pass from in close that hit Morant in the face, leading Morant to punch the then-17-year-old in the chin. Morant's childhood friend Davonte Pack then punched him again, knocking him to the ground, witnesses said.
Holloway sued Morant the following September.
Morant's lawyers acknowledged he punched Holloway one time after Holloway threw the basketball at Morant. In a motion, the player's lawyers said he should be immune from liability under the state's "stand your ground" law, which allows people who feel threatened at their homes to act with force in certain situations.
Shelby County Court Circuit Judge Carol Chumney cited Tennessee law on when the issue of self-defense can be raised, and she wrote in a ruling issued April 8 that Morant “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity."
The judge wrote that “a provocateur generally cannot invoke self-defense; if you start a fight, then you should be ready to finish it.” The judge also noted that Holloway was the only “provocateur,” with everyone else just wanting to play basketball.
Rebecca Adelman, who was representing Holloway, said in a statement after the ruling stating, "We’re disappointed with this Court’s ruling and will continue to protect and advocate for Joshua in the court system."
Morant's attorney Keenan Carter said he and Morant's legal team were "very pleased with the Court’s ruling."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.