Here ye, here ye, here ye.

In the matter of Ja Morant vs. Joshua Holloway, we have a verdict.

It does not involve compensatory damages. 

It does not involve a decision on the facts at hand.

It does not involve lawyers or courtrooms or TMZ.

Ja Morant files countersuit against teenager

The verdict is this: If Morant wants to restore his reputation — as he clearly does — he can do it by beating the Los Angeles Lakers.

That is the only court that matters now. That is where Morant can remind everyone why he has a shoe deal with Nike, why he was once considered the future face of the NBA.

Morant is right when he says the stories about his behavior have “spread like wildfire.”

You know what else would spread like wildfire?

A winning bucket over LeBron James.

Amended suit revives complaints against Ja Morant

But, yes, in case you missed the news, Morant’s legal team filed a counterclaim against Holloway, the high school player who was punched by Morant during a pickup game.

Morant alleges that he struck Holloway in self-defense, that Holloway has lied about what happened that day and that those lies have damaged Morant’s reputation.

Specifically, Morant alleges that Holloway’s “lies” have damaged his chances of getting a supermax contract — worth an extra $40 million — by being named to one of three All-NBA teams.

“Before (Holloway) lied and before he or someone else leaked his lies to the media,” the counterclaim alleges, “Mr. Morant was a strong prospect for one of six All-NBA guard spots.”

Which is laughable, if we’re being honest. If Morant isn’t voted to one of the three All-NBA teams (and it’s looking increasingly unlikely), it won’t be because of his fight with Holloway. It will be because Morant flashed a gun on Instagram Live.

Calkins: Memphis law enforcement has real problems. Not one of them is Ja Morant.

That doesn’t mean Morant was wrong to file a counterclaim against Holloway. He clearly believes that Holloway and his mother are lying to make a buck. So if they are going to sue him, he’ll sue them right back. It seems like a matter of principle for Morant at this point.

But a counterclaim isn’t going to do anything for Morant’s reputation. Compensatory damages can’t give Morant what he wants.

The way back for Morant doesn’t involve depositions or interrogatories.

It involves torching the Lakers and winning in six.

We’ve witnessed how this works with other superstar athletes, who have recovered from much more serious allegations than Morant.

See the overwhelming embrace of Tiger Woods when he won the Masters in 2019.

Calkins: The Grizzlies have an unprecedented opportunity before them. They just have to beat LeBron.

See the deification of Kobe Bryant when he won titles in 2009 and 2010.

If you win big, people tend to forget the tawdry stuff. It’s all about what they see on TV.

So you can be sure that if Morant averages more than 30 points a game while leading the Grizzlies over the Lakers in the coming series, nobody is going to be talking about a lawsuit based on a skirmish during a pickup basketball game.

And Morant might well average more than 30 points a game in the coming series. As my colleague Chris Herrington points out in his preview column, Morant has averaged 27 points, five rebounds and 10 assists against the Lakers over the course of his career.

What current Laker is going to stay in front of him? Austin Reaves? D’Angelo Russell? Fat chance.

Herrington: The Lakers bring bigger stars to this series, the Grizzlies meet them with more

Morant didn’t say any of this during his media availability Thursday, mind you. He was careful with his words. He said “no comment” when asked about the lawsuit. He said he didn’t care who the Grizzlies played. 

But given the opposition, and given the moment, I’d argue nobody in the series has more at stake than Morant. The guy is an incandescent basketball player. He is mesmerizing to watch. Of all the players in the coming series — James and Anthony Davis included — Morant is the most apt to do something spectacular, the most likely to lift you right out of your chair.

Now is the moment to remind everyone of that truth. Now is the time for Morant to soar like the All-NBA player he knows himself to be.

The guy doesn’t need lawyers to restore his reputation.

The Lakers will do just fine.