Ja Morant dodges penalty in lawsuit over altercation with 17-year old: Report

Ja Morant has been at the center of attention over the last couple of seasons thansk to his activities off the court. The former All-Star point guard has faced multiple suspensions for displaying a firearm on video and has been at odds with the NBA over his recent three-point celebrations. Luckily for Morant, a judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Morant filed by a Joshua Holloway.

A judge in Memphis dismissed the lawsuit, in which Holloway accused Morant of punching him during a pickup game at his parents' house back in 2022. The judge ruled that Morant acted in self-defense and was within his rights to defend himself. The dismissal puts the situation behind Ja Morant, who is being relied on by the Memphis Grizzlies in their first round playoff series.

The Grizzlies guard is one of the most electric players in the NBA when he is healthy and available. However, his ascension to stardom has been marred with off-the-court issues. His suspensions, the lawsuit against him and his willingness to speak out against the NBA has harmed his reputation. Now that the lawsuit has been dismissed, Morant has a chance to move on.

Ja Morant and Holloway were given a specific distinction by Judge Carol Chumney during her ruling. She called both leaders in the Memphis community, "and in the limelight, each have unique opportunities to inspire youth and demonstrate mature leadership." Hopefully, the judges ruling has given both players a new perspective that they can apply to their careers moving forward.

How can Ja Morant recover his reputation in the NBA?

Ja Morant is one of the more interesting players in the league when considering how he is viewed, both by fans and his peers. When he entered the league and stole the spotlight from Zion Williamson in his rookie season, it looked like he was going to be one of the faces of the next era of NBA stars. Now, people are much more hesitant to put him on such a high pedastal.

Now that his lawsuit has been dismissed and the firearm situations have been put behind him, the best thing that Morant can do might be to just keep a low profile for a while. He is still the leader of a Memphis Grizzlies team that has proven to be amongst the best in the league when everything is working, but through two playoff games, things have been bad for the team.

Under a new head coach and in a new system, Morant has the opportunity to evolve once again. If he can, he has an opportunity to make the most of a new situation and find learn from his mistakes.