The NBA community lost former point guard Darius Morris on May 4, at the age of 33. Recently, more details about his tragic death have been disclosed.
According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, Morris died of a heart attack, with drugs and alcohol being contributing factors. ABC 7 reported that he suffered from coronary artery atherosclerosis, a form of coronary heart disease. The final report revealed that Morris had cocaine, hydrocodone, and ethanol in his system, which were listed as contributing conditions to his death.
Morris attended Windward School in Mar Vista and grew up in the greater Los Angeles area. Being drafted by the Lakers was likely a dream come true for him. At the University of Michigan, Morris excelled, averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game in his sophomore season, leading the Wolverines to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Duke. His impressive performance got him drafted by the Lakers, and he was beloved by everyone who interacted with him.
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Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet told The Los Angeles Times’ Steve Henson, “Darius was an absolutely super nice guy, he always had a smile. What I appreciated was that when he made it to the NBA, he decided he was going to enjoy every minute of it. He was going to have fun. Darius never forgot that part of it.”
Morris was a second-round draft pick (No. 41) by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011. Over his career, he played 132 games with the Lakers and four other NBA teams, averaging 3.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He made 17 starts with the Lakers and was seen as a potential future building block for the team.
After his time with the Lakers, Morris played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Brooklyn Nets before moving overseas to China. He attempted to return to the NBA through the G-League, but it didn’t work out. We mourn his loss every day and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
