A friend of Ja Morant’s, whom the NBA star called his «brother,» has been arrested for assault with bodily harm stemming from the July 2022 altercation in which a teenager says in a lawsuit that the All-Star guard and Davonte Pack beat him up.
Pack was booked into the Shelby County Jail Wednesday nine days after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Morant and the teenager fought with each other. during a casual basketball game at Morant’s residence after sharing hard passes with each other to control the ball. The boy’s return pass slipped out of his hands and hit Morant square in the face.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, #12, reacts during the first half of Game Four of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 24, 2023. (Gary A. Vásquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Pack admitted in a statement that he had «no reason» to hit the then 17-year-old.
After the fight, the teen, according to Morant, said he would «come back and light this place up like fireworks.» Morant later filed a police report on the boy’s comment, citing threats to his family. That’s when Morant came back outside with a gun, according to the teen, but Morant said that claim isn’t true.
The teen «lied to police that Morant was brandishing a weapon and that key details of the case, once sealed, were leaked to the media in violation of a court order,» Morant’s counterclaim says.
Morant admitted that he «swinged first» but said he acted in self-defense, pointing out that the boy had become the aggressor by throwing a basketball at Morant’s head and pulling up his pants as a sign of «wanting to fight.» «, according to the Washington. Mail.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, #12, handles the ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Shortly after the allegations, Morant filmed himself at a nightclub where he displayed a gun on video, an act that landed him with an eight-game suspension (he ultimately missed nine while entering a counseling program).
However, a similar incident left him with a 25-game suspension beginning at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Pack was previously involved in an altercation with members of the Indiana Pacers that kept him out of FedEx Forum for a year.
Ja Morant, number 12 of the Memphis Grizzlies, watches the Los Angeles Lakers during Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round playoffs at FedExForum on April 26, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Pack is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. No criminal charges have been filed against Morant.
Chantz Martin of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.