Ja Morant Wins Six-Figure Settlement in Lawsuit With Form...

A court has ordered Memphis restaurant The Wing Guru to pay NBA player Ja Morant over $300,000 in damages and interest. This ruling by a Shelby County Chancery Court enforces a previous arbitration decision in Morant's favor.

The dispute arose from a promotional agreement Morant signed with the restaurant "some years ago." Morant alleged that The Wing Guru stopped making payments while continuing to use his name, image, and likeness (NIL) in their marketing without authorization. Morant's attorney specifically stated that the restaurant publicly acknowledged owing $75,000 via an Instagram promise but never paid it.

The case went to arbitration, where the arbitrator ruled for Morant. The arbitrator directed The Wing Guru to stop using Morant's likeness and ordered them to pay $300,000 in compensation and damages, plus approximately $65,000 in interest and legal costs. The business had a deadline in late November 2024 to either challenge this arbitration award or pay; Morant's legal team confirmed neither action was taken, leading the Chancery Court to enforce the payment order.