Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Awarded $365K In The Wing Guru Lawsuit

A Shelby County Chancery Court has ordered Memphis restaurant The Wing Guru to pay Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant over $300,000 in damages and interest after the 26-year-old sued them for breach of contract.

The Wing Guru Stopped Paying Ja Morant For NIL

Per Fox 13 Memphis, Morant had agreed to a contract to promote the business years ago, but he later pursued a lawsuit after the restaurant stopped paying him while continuing to use his name, image, and likeness (NIL) to promote their wings.

According to filings from Morant’s attorneys, the restaurant withheld payments from the NBA star four months after a contract between him and The Wing Guru was signed in January 2022.

Per Lucas Finton of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Morant’s attorneys sent a letter to The Wing Guru in November 2022 asking “the company to true up” to the more than $43,000 that was owed to Morant.

The restaurant, however, did not respond.

Amount Owed Climbed To $75,000

Morant’s lawyer said The Wing Guru responded to their complaint on Instagram months later, claiming that they would receive the full $75,000 they were owed, but Morant claimed he never received that money.

“Mr. Morant followed up via email, to which Wing Guru replied, ‘You guys will get the entire $75k by Jan. 1st. Relax. Thanks for your understanding,'” the petition read. “But Wing Guru made no payments by Jan. 1, 2023, or at any other time.”

The case went to an arbitrator, who sided with Morant, ordering the restaurant to stop using his likeness and pay $300,000 in compensation and damages plus interest, as well as another $65,000 in interest and legal costs.

The restaurant had until late November 2024 to either try to get the case dismissed or pay, but Morant’s lawyers said neither happened.

According to court documents, Morant’s legal team, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office all attempted to serve the business a summons without success for months.

Owner Of The Wing Guru Was Indicted For Tax Fraud, Theft

In late March this year, Billy Richmond, the owner of The Wing Guru, was indicted in Shelby County for tax fraud and theft, according to Finton.

The theft charges in Richmond’s indictment were alleged to have taken place between Jan. 1, 2018, and Jan. 1, 2022. Richmond opened The Wing Guru in 2016.

Per Finton, Richmond was charged with one count of theft of property over $250,000 and two counts of falsification of revenue/tax. His bail was set at $50,000, which he posted.

Richmond will next be in court Sept. 15 for a report date before Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Mitchell.