Ja Morant's friend issued arrest warrant for fighting teenager at Morant's home in 2022
A friend of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a fight involving a teenager in Morant’s home in 2022.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant Tuesday for Davonte Pack, who was allegedly involved in beating up a teenager named Joshua Holloway alongside Morant during a pick-up basketball game, per Complex. The Washington Post originally reported on the incident in April, in which Holloway claimed that Morant and Pack assaulted him after the NBA All-Star took a hit on the chin during the pick-up game.
“The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant for the arrest of Davonte Pack, who has been charged with simple assault in relation to the July 2022 altercation involving Mr. Pack, Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Ja Morant, and a juvenile basketball player at Mr. Morant’s residence in Eads. The SCSO consulted with the SCDAG before obtaining the warrant,” Shelby County police said in a statement.
Ja Morant to serve suspension during 2023-24 NBA season
Morant has not been hit with any criminal charges as a result of the incident. The 23-year-old, however, remains in hot water after an eventful offseason off-the-court. The NBA suspended Morant 25 games for brandishing a gun in an Instagram Live video in May.
Morant was recorded in the passenger seat of a friend’s car when the camera panned for a split second. That was enough time to make out the outline of a gun. The video has since been deleted by the original poster, @_dtap2 on Instagram. Screen grabs have kept the video online and has since made its rounds on social media.
This was the second time in two months that he found himself in trouble over waving a gun around on Instagram Live. Back in March, Morant filmed himself pointing a gun at his camera on Instagram Live in a nightclub in Denver. He ended up stepping away from basketball for a few weeks. Morant also enrolled himself in a Florida counseling program before returning to the court. He was suspended eight games without pay for the incident.
Ja Morant apologizes for latest gun incident
“I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused,” Morant said in a statement. “I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera — who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me — I’m sorry for the harm I’ve done. To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.
“I’m spending this offseason and my suspension continuing to work on my own mental health and decision making. I’m also going to be training so that I’m ready to go when I can be back on the court. I know my teammates are going to hold it down… I’m so sorry I won’t be out there with you at the beginning of the season.
“I hope you’ll give me the chance to prove to you over time I’m a better man than what I’ve been showing you.”