Ja Morant, one of basketball’s brightest young stars and a starting guard in the recent NBA All-Star Game, has been accused of both beating up a 17-year-old boy and threatening a mall security guard during separate incidents that occurred in July 2022.
While the Memphis Grizzlies star’s alleged fight with the teenager during a pickup basketball game was previously reported — the boy and his mother sued Morant in Jan. 2023, at which point the incident became widely known — the Washington Post shared new details culled from police interviews, including a claim that Morant threatened the teenager with a gun following the physical altercation.
A week prior to that incident, however, Memphis Police were called to a nearby mall in July 2022 after Morant and a group of nine people attempted to confront an employee at a Finish Line sporting goods store who had some sort of dispute with Morant’s mother. When Morant and his group arrived, they were interceded by mall security guards, who in turn had a “verbal confrontation” that turned physical with Morant’s group.
According to the Washington Post, the police report states that “as the group was leaving the premises… Ja Morant said, ‘Let me find out what time he gets off,'” which the security guard perceived was a threat. However, no further encounters took place, and no arrests were made.
Two weeks later, the incident between Morant and the 17-year-old boy allegedly took place during a pickup game on a court outside Morant’s Memphis mansion. With tempers flaring between Morant and the teenager — a local high-school player — Morant threw the ball hard at the teen to “check” the ball, with the teen throwing it hard back, according to the report. However, the ball “slipped through Morant’s hands” and hit the Memphis Grizzlies star in the chin.
Morant then put his chin into the boy’s shoulder, asked a friend “Do I do it to him?” and then allegedly punched the boy in the face, forcing him to the ground. Morant and his friend then allegedly pummeled the teenager with over a dozen punches. When interviewed by police after the incident, Morant admitted, “I swung first.”
That altercation was in the lawsuit filed against Morant; what was left out of the lawsuit — but mentioned in the police interviews — is the claim that Morant went back into his house and then “came out with a gun.” While Morant didn’t pull the gun on the teen, he had his hand on the firearm, the teenager told police. Morant didn’t deny “brandishing” a weapon at the time of his police interview. Witnesses, however, told police that the teenager “squared up” to fight Morant after the ball-throwing incident, and didn’t mention the gun. No charges were filed against Morant.
Two weeks later, the Morant family filed a police report against the boy, alleging that he threatened to “come back and light this place up like fireworks,” which they perceived as a threat of further violence.
Both incidents in the Washington Post report came months before The Athletic reported that members of Morant’s entourage had a heated exchange with players on the Indiana Pacers during and following a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. As the Pacers loaded up onto their team bus postgame, an SUV that reportedly carried Morant drove past and put a red laser on members of the Indiana team, with one Pacers’ security person stating at the time “That’s 100 percent a gun.” However, the NBA — after reviewing video footage — could not corroborate the allegation, and no punishment was given.
In a statement to the Washington Post, Morant’s agent Jim Tanner called the allegations “unsubstantiated rumors and gossip” that were “put out by people motivated to tear Ja down and tarnish his reputation for their own financial gain.”
“Any and every allegation involving a firearm has been fully investigated and could not be corroborated. This includes the NBA investigation last month, in which they found no evidence,” Tanner said, adding that the confrontation with the teenager “was purely self-defense. Again, after this was fully investigated by law enforcement, they came to the decision not to charge Ja with any crime.”
The allegations against Morant come that same day as the star guard became the face of a new marketing campaign by energy drink company Powerade.
Daniel Kreps
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/ja-morant-nba-teen-altercation-mall-security-police-1234689298/
By: Daniel Kreps
Title: Fresh Controversy for Ja Morant as NBA Star Is Accused of Assaulting Teen
Sourced From: www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/ja-morant-nba-teen-altercation-mall-security-police-1234689298/
Published Date: 03-02-2023
Frequently Asked Questions
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The NBA salary cap limits the total salary each team can earn. Each year, the league decides what this limit is. This limit is set by the league each year to ensure equal playing field between teams. It prevents teams from signing multiple high-priced athletes and creates an unfair advantage. In order to make trades or sign free agents, teams must remain below the cap. They can surpass it if there are certain exceptions such as signing players with Bird rights or offering contracts with player salaries that count against the cap with the rest being paid out in bonuses. The salary cap is an integral part of the league and helps to ensure a competitive balance between teams.
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Which NBA player has blocked the most shots in a single season?
Mark Eaton's 1984-85 season set new records in blocks (456) as well as blocks per game (5.56). Eaton's total that year is the highest single-season number ever recorded in NBA history.
Hakeem Olajuwon currently holds the NBA record for most career blocks, with 3,830. Olajuwon played 1,238 games over his 18-year tenure and averaged 21.8 point, 11.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Who invented basketball
While it isn't known exactly where basketball originated, it's widely believed that James Naismith (now Springfield College), was a teacher at the International Young Men's Christian Association's Training School (now Springfield College). Naismith established the basics of the game and then nailed a basket with peaches onto an elevated track. He formed nine teams from his 18-member class and began to teach them the basics. Original version had a soccer ball and two peach baskets attached to the gymnasium's ends. Goaltending was not an option as players could only shoot at baskets from below. It spread slowly across America. By the 1900s, basketball was a professional sport, with teams playing in large arenas. It's one of today's most popular games.
What are the salaries of NBA players?
The NBA average salary for 2021-2022 is $7.3 million. This figure is calculated using the maximum salary limit of $134million that was set for this year. However, salaries for individual players will vary depending upon their experience and achievements.
Kevin Durant and LeBron Jam are two examples of superstar players. While rookies can earn as low as $898.310, they can earn as much as $40 million annually. Based on years of experience, veteran players might be eligible for mid-level exception salary ranges from $4.76million to $9.258m. Players may also be eligible for bonuses and other incentives based on their performance or team success.
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The All-Star Game also presents a special award to the most valuable player. The All-Star Game draws together some of basketball's best talents. It is the most anticipated NBA event each year. It's an excellent opportunity for fans to watch their favourite players compete against each other and see who will come out on top. The All-Star Game is a showcase for some the most exciting players within the NBA and it is something that fans look forward too every year. The NBA All-Star Game will provide entertainment and talent with its unique selection process.
