By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is facing accusations of “repeatedly punching” a 17-year-old boy and threatening him by flashing a gun at him, the Washington Post reports, citing information from Memphis police records.
According to the police reports obtained by the Post, the incident took place in August and Morant punched the teenage boy “12-13 times” during a pickup game at the Grizzlies’ player’s house. The teenager told the authorities that after Morant hit him, he went into his house and then came back holding a gun “visible in the waistband of his pants.”
When the police inquired Morant about the alleged assault, he mentioned that he “swung first” while acting in self-defense since he believed that the boy had an aggressive behavior after throwing a ball at his head. The player also told the authorities that the teenager shouted at him that he’ll “come back and light this place (editor’s note: Morant’s house) like fireworks.”
In a statement to TMZ, Morant’s agent Jim Tanner described the accusations as: “unsubstantiated rumors and gossip are being put out by people motivated to tear Ja down and tarnish his reputation for their own financial gain.” He also mentioned that his client’s actions were “purely self-defense” and that police didn’t charge him with any crime after a full investigation.