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Ja Morant appeared in a Tennessee court on Monday afternoon for his immunity hearing as he faces an assault lawsuit filed by Joshua Holloway. The alleged incident happened last summer when Morant and Holloway were playing a pickup game. Footage from the hearing showed the Memphis Grizzlies superstar explaining how to check-ball in pickup games.
In the video below, Morant testified that he was acting in self-defense after Holloway had hit him with the basketball during their pickup game. Things got heated between the two players on Jul. 26, 2022, in the incident at Morant's home.
Morant's lawyer, Keenan Carter, argued that his client is protected under the state's "Stand Your Ground Law." The Grizzlies star claimed that he had to protect himself after Holloway threw the ball at him during a check-ball.
For those unaware of what a check-ball means in pickup games, it's when opposing players pass the ball to each other and "check" if all players are ready to resume play. It's usually done after a basket or after a foul is called at the top of the key:
"All the players on the court pretty much said, 'Come on man, let’s play,'" Morant said.
"So, I picked the ball up, gave him a chest pass, and he fired the ball right back at me. But before that, everything was all good." [H/T ABC 24 Memphis]
Keenan Carter is also arguing that Joshua Holloway has changed his story several times. He even added that Holloway's teammate and childhood coach have sided with Ja Morant.
The hearing will resume on Tuesday with Tee Morant and Holloway testifying next. Both sides have until Dec. 20 to finish the hearing. If the case goes to trial, it will be tentatively scheduled for April.
Adam Silver set to meet with Ja Morant later this week ahead of potential return from suspension
Ja Morant's 25-game suspension ends on Dec. 19 when the Memphis Grizzlies take on the New Orleans Pelicans.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is happy with Morant's improvement throughout his suspension. The league had a program that the Grizzlies superstar had to comply:
"We've, together, laid out a program for him over the last several weeks, and to the best of my knowledge, he's complied with everything he's been asked to do," Silver told reporters in a press conference in Las Vegas.
"As I said, we'll talk at least once this week before he comes back, and we will review the program and make sure the conditions are in place for him to be successful going forward."
