Ja Morant wins $300,000 lawsuit against Memphis wing restaurant
Grizzlies star Ja Morant just scored a major victory off the court. A Shelby County Chancery Court has ordered The Wing Guru to pay him over $300,000 after the restaurant kept using his name and image in promotions but stopped sending him checks.
The 26-year-old NBA guard had signed a deal with the popular Memphis restaurant back in January 2022. But according to court documents, The Wing Guru stopped paying Morant just four months into their agreement.
What’s worse? They kept using his name, image, and likeness to sell their wings.
Morant’s legal team tried to resolve things quietly at first. They sent a letter in November 2022 asking the restaurant to pay the more than $43,000 they already owed him.
The Wing Guru didn’t even respond.
By the time Morant’s lawyers followed up, the amount owed had climbed to $75,000. The restaurant finally acknowledged the debt on Instagram, promising to pay “the entire $75k by Jan. 1st. Relax. Thanks for your understanding.”
January 1st came and went. No money appeared.
The case eventually went to an arbitrator, who ruled completely in Morant’s favor. The Wing Guru was ordered to stop using his likeness and pay $300,000 in compensation and damages, plus interest. They were also hit with another $65,000 for interest and legal costs.
The restaurant had until late November 2024 to either fight the ruling or pay up. They did neither.
Court documents reveal a bizarre cat-and-mouse game that followed. Morant’s legal team, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and even the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office all tried to serve the business with a summons for months. Nobody could track them down.
The restaurant’s troubles go beyond just this lawsuit. In late March, Wing Guru owner Billy Richmond was indicted in Shelby County on serious charges of tax fraud and theft.
The theft charges allegedly took place between January 2018 and January 2022 – right around when Richmond signed the deal with Morant. Richmond had opened The Wing Guru back in 2016.
Richmond faces one count of theft of property over $250,000 and two counts of falsification of revenue/tax. He posted his $50,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on September 15 before Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Mitchell.
For Morant, the court victory comes as welcome news during what’s been a challenging period in his career.
