In an interview with police, Morant said he acted in self-defense. “I swung first,” he told detectives, but he believed the boy had been the aggressor because he threw a ball at Morant’s head and then stepped toward him, pulling up his pants. “The ball was to me the first hit,” Morant told police.
Ja Morant Accused Of Repeatedly Punching Teen In The Head And Threatening Him With Gun
Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Ja Morant, and he’s just in the early phase of his career. In his fourth season, not only Morant is showing he’s a promising young player, but he’s already solidifying himself as a superstar in the NBA.
With his highly productive play and ability to lead his team, it’s not hard to picture Morant as a potential MVP winner in the future.
While Morant is shining on the court, there recently have been some pretty dark allegations off the court.
We’ve already reported about the incident that involves the continuation of a dispute than began during the Grizzlies vs Pacers game on January 29. During the game, Morant had wan altercation with Chris Duarte. After the game against the Pacers, Morant revealed things began when Andrew Nembhard started talking trash to his father, Tee Morant.
However, according to various report, Morant and associates of his took this on-court issue into the loading area after the game. According to The Athletic, this even led to Morant’s entourage allegedly pointing lasers from a gun at Pacers personell.
Now, Memphis police records show that Morant was accused of repeatedly punching a teenage boy in the head, while also threatening him with a gun last summer. The teenager reportedly threw a ball in Morant’s face during a pickup basketball game at Moran’t house, which led to the Grizzlies star allegedly punching him in the face repeatedly, leaving a large lump on the side of boy’s head.
Per the Washington Post:
Morant repeatedly punched a teenage boy in the head during a pickup basketball game at Morant’s house, the boy told police. Morant and his friend struck the 17-year-old so hard they knocked him to the ground and left him with a “large knot” on the side of his head, according to a police report narrative written by deputies who said they observed the boy’s injuries.
The teenager told detectives from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office that, after the fight, Morant went into his house and re-emerged with a gun visible in the waistband of his pants and his hand on the weapon, according to police interviews obtained by The Post, which have not previously been reported.
Morant explained that he acted in self-defense, while saying the the boy made threats to him and his family:
During the interview, detectives mentioned the boy’s allegation that Morant flashed a gun but did not ask Morant whether it was true.
Morant told police that as the boy left, he shouted, “I’m gonna come back and light this place up like fireworks.” Weeks after the incident, according to records obtained by The Post, Morant filed a police report about the boy’s comment, saying the teenager had threatened his family.
