Adam Morrison

Biography

Biography

Adam Morrison (born July 19, 1984 in Glendive, Montana) is an professional basketball player with the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA, who drafted him third overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. Morrison played for three years at Gonzaga University and was considered to be one of the top college basketball players in 2005–06, alongside Duke University's J.J. Redick. Morrison was a favorite to win the Naismith and Wooden "Player of the Year" awards. He was named Co-Player of the Year with Redick by the United States Basketball Writers Association and won the 2006 Chevrolet Player of the Year award.

Early Years

Morrison's father, John, is a basketball coach and was the head coach at Dawson Community College in Glendive, Montana, when Adam was born. The family moved with John's coaching career, first to Mitchell, South Dakota (Dakota Wesleyan University, a small four-year school) and then to Casper, Wyoming (Casper College, a junior college). When Adam was in the fourth grade, the family moved to Spokane. He was first exposed to Gonzaga basketball in elementary school when he served as the team's ball boy. During his eighth-grade year he lost 30 pounds (14 kg) and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. However, his illness did not keep him from becoming a star at Mead High School in Spokane. In his senior year he broke single-season and career scoring records in his high school conference, and led Mead to the finals of the state tournament. Despite playing in the final game with hypoglycemia so severe that he nearly suffered seizures, he scored 37 points in a losing effort. It was Mead's only loss that season.

Despite his accomplishments, Morrison was not heavily recruited out of high school, with Gonzaga the only Division I school to strongly pursue him.

Gonzaga

He arrived at Gonzaga University in 2003, averaging 11.4 points per game in the 2003-04 season and being named to the West Coast Conference's All-Freshman first team. In his sophomore year he averaged 19.0 ppg and made the All-WCC first team, as well as being named an honorable mention All-American.

Morrison began the 2005-06 season with a bang. In Gonzaga's first two games at the Maui Invitational, one of the most prestigious early-season tournaments in the sport, Morrison had huge scoring nights against two of the sport's top programs. In the first round, Morrison scored 25 points in a Zags win over Maryland. He followed up this performance with 43 points in a triple-overtime win over Michigan State in the semifinals. He matched that output against in-state rival Washington December 4, 2005, in a losing effort. However, Morrison and the Zags bounced back a week later, defeating Oklahoma State after he banked in a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to give Gonzaga a two point lead and eventually the win.

In the regular season, he had 13 games of 30-plus points, with five of them over 40. At 28.8 points per game, he was the nation's leading scorer in 2005-2006. His scoring totals against teams in the "major" conferences are no less impressive; he averaged 28.5 points in 11 such games. On February 18, Morrison recorded a career high 44 (including 37 in the second half alone) points against Loyola Marymount Lions in a winning effort.

Morrison's strengths include his ability to score both near and far from the basket as well as his notorious competitiveness. His will to do anything to get inside his opponents' heads is well documented, as a television viewer can often see him yelling at his opponents and teammates alike.

Morrison led the Zags with 24 points in a 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen match against UCLA, which the Zags' lost in the final seconds. Morrison fell to the floor on his knees and began to visibly weep with 2.6 seconds left in the game. UCLA's Arron Afflalo helped him up in a classy move. Morrison made light of the weeping in a paid television commercial. Adam later came in second as the national player of the year to friendly rival J.J Redick.

This turned out to be Morrison's final collegiate game, as he later decided to turn pro, forgoing his senior year of college.

Professional career

Morrison was selected 3rd overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats, behind Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors) and LaMarcus Aldridge (Chicago Bulls). On July 6, 2006, the Bobcats signed Morrison.

International

Morrison has earned 4 caps for various junior teams but has yet to make his debut for the senior United States National Basketball Team.

Morrison was selected to train with the senior men's team in preparation for the 2006 FIBA World Championship but was cut prior to the tournament.

Diabetes

Morrison, who fanatically controls his diabetes to the point of eating exactly the same meals at the same time on game days, is considered a role model in the Inland Empire and beyond for children with the disease and their families. During his freshman year at Gonzaga, Morrison and his life with diabetes were a subject of a five-page article in Sports Illustrated. On the first day that the issue appeared in retail outlets, more than 50 parents of diabetic children contacted the Gonzaga athletics department asking if Morrison could speak to their children. In Morrison's first collegiate season he garnered more national attention for being diabetic than for his gameplay. Though in the years since, his performance has outpaced his condition in notability.

Off the court, Morrison regulates his blood sugar with an insulin pump attached to his abdomen.

Personal

• Musical interest: Rage Against the Machine, X-Raided and Metallica
• Friends with former Duke University basketball star and top NBA prospect J.J. Redick
• He watches videos of Larry Bird to mold his game, according to Sports Illustrated
• Is an avid reader and, although he denies that he is a communist, says one of his idols is Che Guevara after a project in the 8th grade [1].
• Always eats steak and baked potatoes 2 hours and 15 minutes before a game.
• Is an avid video game player, particularly Halo 2 on Xbox Live.
• In his dorm he had four posters: a Che Guevara poster that quotes "Hasta La Victoria Siempre" (Always toward victory); a Larry Bird poster that quotes "DETERMINATION"; a poster of his favorite rock band (Rage Against The Machine); and a poster of Karl Marx.
• Originally grown as a part of a bet with a friend, Morrison's mustache has become a cultural phenomenon.
• Adam Morrison has appeared in many commercials for Electronic Arts's NBA Live '07, and will appear on the cover of EA's NCAA Basketball 2007. He also has endorsement contracts with Adidas and Topps.

Scouting Report

Adam Morrison is a very potent offensive threat. He has a good all around game and was the leading scorer in all of college basketball in 2006. He is a deadly shooter form the perimeter and can fire at any time. He can take the ball to the hoop and can post up smaller defenders from time to time. Even though he is a very good offensive player, he can be a liability on defense. Despite the poor defense, Morrison is projected to be in the top of the draftboard.

Transactions

• Jun 28, 2006: Drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 1st round (3rd overall) in 2006.
• Feb 7, 2009: The Charlotte Bobcats traded Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vladimir Radmanovic.

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