Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Arrest warrant issued for friend of NBA star Ja Morant over fight at player's home in 2022

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant plays during the second half of Game 5 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant plays during the second half of Game 5 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Share
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

An arrest warrant has been issued for a close friend of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant stemming from a fight during a pickup basketball game at the player's home last year, authorities said.

Davonte Pack, whom Morant has referred to as "my brother," has been charged with simple assault stemming from the July 2022 altercation in which a teenager says the All-Star guard and Pack punched him, the Shelby County district attorney's office said in a statement.

Online records show the warrant for Pack, 24, was issued Monday, the same day Morant's lawyers argued in civil court that the teen's lawsuit against Morant should be dismissed because he acted in self-defense after the teen threw a basketball at Morant and it hit Morant in the chin.

Morant's accuser was 17 when the lawsuit was filed. It accuses Morant and Pack of assault, reckless endangerment, abuse or neglect, and infliction of emotional distress. An amended complaint identified the plaintiff as Joshua Holloway, who is now 18.

Morant filed a countersuit accusing Holloway of slander, battery and assault.

No criminal charges have been filed against Morant. Lawyers defending Morant and Pack in the lawsuit didn't immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment on the warrant.

The NBA suspended Morant for 25 games when the upcoming season starts after a second video of him flashing a handgun was posted online. The video of Morant showing a gun while sitting in the passenger seat of a car was posted after he finished serving an eight-game suspension in March for a video in which he flashed a handgun in a Denver-area strip club.

Morant apologized for both incidents.

Morant's actions also were investigated after a Jan. 29 incident in Memphis that he said led to Pack being banned from home games for a year.

That incident followed a game against the Indiana Pacers. The Indianapolis Star and USA Today, citing unnamed sources, reported that multiple members of the Pacers saw a red dot pointed at them, and The Athletic reported that a Pacers security guard believed the laser was attached to a gun.

The NBA confirmed that unnamed individuals were banned from the arena but said its investigation found no evidence that anyone was threatened with a weapon.

Morant responded to that incident by tweeting that the reports "paint this negative image on me and my fam. & banned my brother from home games for a year. unbelievable." During the Jan. 29 game, there was barking between Pacers players and friends of Morant seated along the sideline. Pack was escorted from the arena as Pacers bench players shouted in Pack's direction.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Haitian group in Ohio files citizen criminal charges against Trump and Vance

The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community invoked a private-citizen right to file charges Tuesday against former U.S. president Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, over the chaos and threats experienced by Springfield, Ohio, since Trump first spread false claims about legal immigrants there during a presidential debate.

We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

Local Spotlight

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

Stay Connected