MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is filing a countersuit against a Memphis-area teenager.
The countersuit accuses Josh Holloway, the teen suing Morant, of assault, battery and slander. Morant's team is suing for damages on all three counterclaims.
Attorneys representing Morant claim the Grizzlies star never flashed a weapon at Holloway, and that the teen lied to the police. Morant's countersuit says the "repetition and amplification of [Holloway]’s lies spread like wildfire," contributing to negative press around the Grizzlies star.
In the countersuit, Morant's attorneys also speculates that confidential information from the initial lawsuit was leaked to national media. A protective court order was placed on the lawsuit from Holloway's mother to ensure confidentiality. However the counterclaim speculates that somebody in Holloway's camp leaked information to The Post and TMZ, including "unredacted video footage of Counter-Defendant from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office."
The counter complaint states that "before [Holloway] or someone else leaked [Holloway]'s lies to the media, Mr. Morant was a strong prospect for one of six All-NBA guard spots. That selection would be personally significant for Mr. Morant, because it would trigger a “super max” clause in his contract extension worth millions of dollars."
Both lawsuits stem from an altercation at Morant's home in Eads, Tennessee. The countersuit claims Morant often "hosted pickup basketball games at his family home," where "he occasionally invites talented, local basketball players to join him." Holloway, a former St. George's basketball player, was invited to join for one of these games on July 26.
Holloway told deputies the Grizzlies point guard jumped him, punching him in the head and face at the July 26 game. He said he was then knocked to the ground, when Morant continued to hit him with a closed fist. He then stated a second man at the game began to assault him.
Nearly a month later, on Aug. 16, Holloway told detectives he and Morant had been in a verbal altercation with each other during the July 26 game, and the teen threw a basketball at Morant, which he said then accidentally hit him in the face.
Morant's counterclaim tells a different story.
His attorneys claim Holloway intentionally threw the ball at his face, stating a facial injury "could be career ending" for an NBA player. The countersuit states Holloway aggressively approached Morant with his fist balled. It goes on to say Morant then hit Holloway once, and that no one ever kicked the teen. It also states Morant never had a gun.
Attorneys for Morant claim as Holloway was being escorted from the house, the teen told Morant he would “light [Morant’s] house up like a firework show.”
On May 26, a judge ruled that the sheriff's office must comply with a subpoena to turn over information within three weeks and that it will not interfere with the investigation into the matter.