Disturbing allegations involving Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant last month appear to have been more than an isolated incident.
According to a new report published by the Washington Post, Morant's name has surfaced multiple times in police reports over the past year.
In one incident, Morant allegedly punched a teenage boy in the head repeatedly -- and later flashed a gun in his waistband -- during a pickup basketball game that turned heated at Morant's Memphis-area home.
The 23-year-old Morant and a friend knocked the 17-year-old to the ground and left him with a "large knot" on the side of his head, a police report said. When interviewed by police, Morant said the boy had initiated and instigated the scuffle by throwing a ball at his head, and upon leaving Morant's property had threated to return and "light this place up like fireworks."
Morant later filed a police report, claiming the boy had threatened his family. Prosecutors told The Post that they declined to file charges after reviewing the case.
The boy and his family are suing Morant and a friend, which was previously reported by TMZ. In one police report, Morant's attorneys describe the incident as a "shake down," claiming the boy's mother asked for $20 million to settle the case. According to The Post, the woman has a history of filing lawsuits that were ultimately dismissed.
In a separate incident just days prior to the fight, Morant allegedly "threatened" the head of security at a Memphis shopping mall, prompting the him to file a police report.
Morant had shown up at the mall after his mother had gotten into an argument with an employee at a shoe store. Morant arrived at the scene with "as many as nine other people," apparently in defense of his mom.
When police arrived, what police described as a "verbal confrontation" escalated into shoving, with the security official being pushed in the head. Morant then said "Let me find out what time he gets off" in reference to the security guard, the police report said, per The Post.
The development comes just weeks after an incident in which Morant, a two-time All-Star, and his entourage were accused of pointing a laser -- potentially attached to a gun -- at members of the Pacers organization following an on-court altercation during the Indiana-Memphis game on Jan. 29.
The Pacers employees didn't file a police report for fear of retribution, The Athletic reported. The NBA probed the matter, and concluded that while there was a postgame confrontation, it could not corroborate whether a weapon was involved, The Athletic reported.
The league confirmed that "certain individuals" involved in the postgame confrontation had been barred from FedExForum but did not specify who. Morant's father, Tee, and associates are often seen sitting courtside at Grizzlies games.
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