Darius Aaron Morris (January 3, 1991 – May 2, 2024) was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. Morris was selected as the 41st pick in the

2011 NBA draft The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponso ...

by the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

and played the

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

position. He also played for the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

and

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

of the NBA as well as the

Los Angeles D-Fenders The South Bay Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, that competes in the NBA G League. Founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team is owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the first ...

and

Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won f ...

of the

NBA D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

. He also played overseas in China, Russia and France. Morris spent two seasons playing

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

with the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...

. While playing for the 2010–11 team, he was the

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...

assists leader and set the Michigan single-season assist record (since broken by

Trey Burke Alfonso Clark "Trey" Burke III (born November 12, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines where in the 2012–1 ...

). He earned third team All-Big Ten honors his sophomore season. Prior to attending Michigan, Morris led

Windward School Windward School is an independent school in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It was founded by writer/teacher Shirley Windward in 1971. The school currently enro ...

to the 2009 California state championship while earning the

California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...

(CIF) Division 5A State John Wooden High School Player of the Year Award. He was a 2010–11 All-Big Ten 3rd team selection by the coaches and the media. The

National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the men's basketball head coach for the Univ ...

named him as a 2nd team All-District selection for the district composed of Big Ten schools.

Early life

Morris was raised in

Carson, California Carson is a city in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and the Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor regions of Los Angeles County, California, located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately away from Los Angeles International ...

. In high school, Morris, the son of Dewayne Sr. and Robin Morris, attended

. As a brash freshman, Morris promised the media that he would be able to dunk and lead Windward to a state championship before he graduated.

High school career

Morris was invited to numerous All-star basketball camps hosted by

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...

Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...

, the

National Basketball Players Association The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the labor union that represents National Basketball Association (NBA) players. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major professional sports leagues in the U ...

and

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

. He was twice selected as a first-team All-State player in California. He was also named the MVP of numerous tournaments and invited to participate in numerous all-star games, including the Academic All-American Classic. Morris's father worked for the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

office in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. As a senior, Morris led Windward High School to the California Division V state title, posting a game-high 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the championship game. Darius Morris was named the MVP of Olympic League, CIF Division 5A Southern Section Player of Year, and CIF Division 5A State Player of Year. Also Darius was awarded a John Wooden High School Player of the Year Award, received by

Jrue Holiday Jrue Randall Holiday ( ; born June 12, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins before being selecte ...

the year before. He was ranked as the 11th, 15th and 20th best

high school basketball High school basketball, also known as prep basketball, is the sport of basketball as played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. Top high school athletes often go on to play college basketball after ...

point guard in the nation by

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

, Rivals.com and Scout.com, respectively. Rivals and ESPN included him on their lists of best overall basketball players at 77th and 100th, respectively.

College career

As a freshman with the 2009–10 team, Morris averaged 4.4

points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

and 2.6 assists per game in 24.3 minutes of playing time per game. On November 14, Morris began the season for #15 ranked Wolverines in the starting lineup, posting 11 points and 5 assists against . He had a season-high 7 assists against Northwestern on January 10, 2010. On December 23, 2010, Morris was one of three Wolverines to make 4

three-point shot A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...

s as the team set a school single-game record by making 16 against . He also had 12 assists on his way to a

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the ter ...

. On December 27, 2010, the Big Ten Conference named Morris player of the week.

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

media felt his omission from the 67-man 2011

Bob Cousy Award The Bob Cousy Award, sponsored by the College of the Holy Cross, is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Assoc ...

watchlist was a surprise. Morris repeated as (co-)player of the week on January 31, 2011, sharing the award with

Talor Battle Talor Battle (born September 16, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Penn State. In college, he played for Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball team, and then re-joined the Nittany Lions ...

, after becoming the third

Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the College basketball, intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...

player (following Gary Grant and

Manny Harris Corperryale Lādorable "Manny" Harris (born September 21, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for Al Riyadi Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League. He has previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and D ...

) to record a

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

. On February 1, 2011, ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' calculated that Morris was by far the most valuable player to his team among major conference players because his combined assists and

field goals A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, a ...

account for over 53% of his team's points. Morris established a new Michigan single-season assists record during the

2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2010-11 ...

(235 in 35 games). The previous highest single-season assists totals in Michigan history were by Gary Grant (234 in 34 games, 1987–88) and

Rumeal Robinson Rumeal James Robinson (born November 13, 1966) is a Jamaican-American former professional basketball player and convicted felon. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robinson graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and went on to pl ...

(233 in 37 games, 1988–89). His average of 6.71 assists per game led the Big Ten Conference. For the season, Morris also led the 2010–11 team in

per game and steals per game. Following the

2010–11 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season The 2010–11 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season marked the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive basketball among Big Ten Conference members that began in 1904. The non-conference portion of the 2010–11 NCAA Division I m ...

, Darius Morris was selected as a third team All-Big Ten selection by both the conference's coaches and the conference's media. Morris was also a

(NABC) Division I District 7 All‐District second team choice. Since the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

is its own district, this is equivalent to being named second team All-Big Ten by the NABC. Following the season, Morris sought the advice of the NBA's undergraduate advisory committee to determine his draft prospects. On May 4, Morris announced his final decision not to withdraw his name prior to the May 8 deadline and to enter the June 23, 2011, NBA draft.

Professional career

2011–12 season

Chad Ford Chad Ford (born 1971) is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Utah State University, specializing in intercultural and religious peacebuilding. He served as the director of the Brigham Young University–Hawaii's McKay Center for Inte ...

described Morris at as the biggest true point guard in the draft. Morris was selected by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the

with the 41st overall selection. In the week prior to the beginning of the

2011–12 NBA season The 2011–12 NBA season was the 66th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to the 2011 NBA lockout, lockout, the regular season was reduced to 66 games for each team, and began on December 25, 2011, coinciding with NBA Christm ...

, Morris appeared along with teammates

Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Fisher played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los ...

Steve Blake Steven Hanson Blake (born February 26, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. After winning the 2002 NCAA Championship with Maryland, Blake was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the ...

and

Matt Barnes Matt Kelly Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies an ...

on the December 22

season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: ...

finale of ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

'' during a performance by

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

. On January 11, he played 13 minutes against

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

in his first game for the Lakers, contributing his first four points, his first two assists and first rebound. The game went to

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

and marked the Lakers' first road victory of the season in four attempts. Morris began seeing action as Blake endured a costrochaondral fracture of the

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...

that connects the

rib In vertebrate anatomy, ribs () are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the thoracic cavity, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ...

to the

sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...

in subsequent games. Morris stayed in the main rotation for seven games during Blake's rib injury before returning to a limited role. On March 7, 2012, Morris was assigned to the

of the

. Morris debuted for the Defenders with 21 points on March 10. He was recalled by the Lakers on March 16, 2012. On April 26, against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

in the last game of the regular season, Morris tallied 9 points and 5 assists.

2012–13 season

Morris agreed to re-sign with the Lakers on July 2, 2012, and was named to the Lakers team for the July 13–22 Las Vegas NBA Summer League. During the Summer League, Morris led the Lakers in scoring and assists. On November 9, 2012, Darius Morris recorded 10 points, a career-high 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal in a 101–77 Lakers win over the Golden State, backing up Blake, while

was injured. On November 13, with both Blake and Nash injured, Morris made his first career start against the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

. As a starter, Morris posted career highs of 31 minutes and 6 assists on November 16 against the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

. On December 4, Chris Duhon overtook Morris as the replacement starter. On December 16, Morris posted a career-high 15 points against the

. A few nights later,

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

praised him for his defensive effort. When Nash returned to the starting lineup on December 22, Morris started in place of

Metta World Peace Metta Sandiford-Artest (born Ronald William Artest Jr., November 13, 1979), previously legally named Metta World Peace, is an American former professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Un ...

, who came off the bench. This was part of a common strategy employed by Lakers head coach

Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...

to play players out of position. While a starter, Morris's responsibility was to defend against the opponents' most dangerous perimeter player. On January 4, World Peace returned to the starting lineup in Morris's place. Then in late January,

Jodie Meeks Orestes Jodie Meeks II (born August 21, 1987) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the ...

replaced Morris in the rotation as Blake also returned to the rotation. On March 7, 2013, Morris was reassigned to the

. He played for the D-Fenders on March 9, scoring 21 points and adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. He was recalled on March 9, 2013. On April 3, 2013, the Lakers sent him to the D-Fenders once again. He was recalled the next day. On April 26 in the

2013 NBA playoffs The 2013 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2012–13 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spu ...

against the San Antonio Spurs, with Bryant, Nash, Blake and Meeks sidelined, Morris had his best day as a pro, tallying 24 points and 6 assists in a starting role. On June 28, the Lakers decided that they would not make Morris the $1.2 million qualifying offer prior to the July 1 deadline that would have been necessary to make him a restricted free agent. Although the team expressed interest in re-signing Morris at a lower-priced contract and having him represent the team again in the summer league, he would become an unrestricted free agent at the deadline because the qualifying offer was not made.

2013–14 season

On September 27, 2013, Morris signed with the

. As the September 28 training camp date approached, Morris was expected to battle with

Tony Wroten Anthony Leon Wroten Jr. (born April 13, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies, where he was a first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-12, before being drafted by the ...

for the backup point guard position behind

Michael Carter-Williams Michael Carter-Williams (born October 10, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted in the first round with the 11th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, after playing college basketball f ...

. When Carter-Williams missed games, it was Wroten who moved into the starting lineup. On November 16, 2013, he scored an NBA regular season career-high 20 points along with 2 assists in a 135–98 loss to the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. On November 20, 2013, he was waived by the 76ers as part of roster moves that included signing

Elliot Williams Elliot Jerell Williams (born June 20, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Duke and Memphis. He was selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers ...

and

Lorenzo Brown Lorenzo D'Ontez Brown Banks (born 26 August 1990) is an American-Spanish professional basketball who plays for KK Crvena zvezda of the ABA League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball, NC S ...

and waiving

Kwame Brown Kwame Hasani Brown (born March 10, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected first overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA draft, Brown was ...

. In December, he was one of several guards to work out with the

. That month, he was also considered by the

when

was injured since point guards Blake, Nash and

Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an American-Israeli former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' High School Player of the Y ...

were all injured. The Lakers, however, decided to sign

Kendall Marshall Kendall Dewan Marshall (born August 19, 1991) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He was born in Dumfries, Virginia, and attended Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. He played college basketball for ...

who was averaging 19.4 points and 9.6 assists in the D-League at the time. On January 6, 2014, Morris signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers after

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...

suffered a separated shoulder. Later that same day, Morris played his first game for the Clippers, logging 8 minutes off the bench in a 101–81 win over the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

, and scoring his first point as a Clipper off a free throw. On January 16, Morris signed a second 10-day contract with the Clippers. On January 26, his second 10-day contract expired and the Clippers decided not to sign him for the rest of the season. On February 3, 2014, Morris signed a 10-day contract with the

. Mike Conley Jr. had been injured and

Jerryd Bayless Jerryd Andrew Bayless (born August 20, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played a year of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats after playing high school basketball at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix. He was ...

had been recently traded, leaving the team short at point guard. On March 17, 2014, Morris was acquired by the

of the

. On March 20, he posted his first professional double-double with 21 points and 10 assists against the

Bakersfield Jam Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...

. Morris posted 31 points on March 21 against the

Austin Toros Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

. On April 12, Morris posted 51 points and 18 assists in an overtime playoff loss to the

Iowa Energy Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. The performance established a D-League single-game playoff record for assists and was the second-highest all-time single-game playoff point total.

2014–15 season

In July 2014, Morris joined the

for the

2014 NBA Summer League The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 t ...

. On September 24, 2014, he signed with the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. However, he was later waived by the Trail Blazers on October 25, 2014. On December 11, 2014, the

made a two-for-one trade clearing a space on their roster. Morris signed with the team that day and made his debut for them the next day, recording two points and one assist in the 88–70 win over the

. On June 29, he was waived by the Nets.

2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons

On March 29, 2016, Morris was reacquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. That night, he made his season debut in a 118–97 win over the

Oklahoma City Blue The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue compete in the NBA G League as members of the Western Conference. The Blue play their home games ...

, recording nine points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 24 minutes off the bench. Morris led the 2016–17 Vipers in scoring and assists during the regular season with 20.0 points and 6.4 assists per game. He also led the team with 23.3 points and 7.9 assists per game during the playoffs.

2017–18 season

On January 5, 2018, Morris was conditionally signed by

Guangdong Southern Tigers Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or Guangdong Southern Tigers, also known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one of ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

(CBA) to replace Edwin Jackson. On February 21, 2018, he did not renew his contract with the

after the team signed Donald Sloan as the replacement. On March 21, Morris re-signed with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

2018–19 season

On September 4, 2018, Morris was signed to join the

for training camp. The Pelicans waived him on October 12. He then joined the

Santa Cruz Warriors The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...

of the G League. On November 10, he posted a 25-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist

against the

, which was his second G League triple double.

2019–20 season

On August 20, 2019, he signed with

BC Enisey BC Yenisey () is a Russian professional basketball team from the city of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Since the 2011–12 season, Enisey plays in the VTB United League. The team colors are blue and white. Its full name is Basketball Club Enisey Krasnoy ...

of the

VTB United League The VTB United League () is an international professional men's club basketball league that was founded in 2009. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus and Kazakhstan. Since 2013, it is the first tier of Russian ...

. On January 12, 2020, he signed with

BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque Basket Club Maritime Gravelines-Dunkerque, commonly referred to as BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque, is a French professional basketball club based in Gravelines. They currently play in the LNB Pro A, Pro A, the highest professional league in France. The ...

of the French league,

LNB Pro A LNB may refer to: Sport * Liga Nacional de Baloncesto, a professional basketball league in the Dominican Republic * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, an Argentine basketball league * Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (Paraguay), Liga Nacional de Básquetb ...

. He played seven games with this team until the basketball season was suspended due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in France The COVID-19 pandemic in France has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths. The virus was confirmed to have reached France on 24 January 2020, when the first COVID-19 case in both Europe and France was identified in Bordeaux. T ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 19 , , 0 , , 8.9 , , .429 , , .444 , , .667 , , .8 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , .0 , , 2.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 48 , , 17 , , 14.2 , , .388 , , .364 , , .649 , , 1.2 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 12 , , 0 , , 16.1 , , .433 , , .417 , , .714 , , 1.1 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .0 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 10 , , 0 , , 5.4 , , .308 , , .000 , , .500 , , .5 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , .9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

, 5 , , 0 , , 13.2 , , .375 , , .286 , , .333 , , 1.6 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .0 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, 38 , , 0 , , 7.9 , , .340 , , .212 , , .444 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.2 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 132 , , 17 , , 11.1 , , .384 , , .322 , , .630 , , 1.0 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , .0 , , 3.3 , - class=sortbottom !scope=row colspan=13 , Sources:

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , .750 , , .0 , , .8 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 2 , , 26.3 , , .457 , , .333 , , .778 , , 1.3 , , 3.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 9 , , 2 , , 13.1 , , .487 , , .400 , , .769 , , .6 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , .0 , , 5.8 , - class=sortbottom !scope=row colspan=13 , Sources:

NBA D/G League

Regular season

, - , align="left", 2011-12 , align="left" ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 1 , , 0 , , 28.0 , , .438 , , .333 , , .857 , , 1.0 , , 4.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 21.0 , - , align="left" ,

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, align="left" , Los Angeles , 2 , , 2 , , 35.0 , , .355 , , .182 , , .545 , , 6.0 , , 5.5 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 15.0 , - , align="left" , 2013–14 , align="left" ,

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

, 9 , , 7 , , 29.3 , , .508 , , .179 , , .641 , , 4.3 , , 6.7 , , .8 , , .0 , , 17.1 , - , align="left" , 2015–16 , align="left" , Rio Grande , 3 , , 0 , , 28.3 , , .429 , , .538 , , .571 , , 4.3 , , 4.3 , , 1.7 , , .0 , , 13.7 , - , align="left" , 2016–17 , align="left" , Rio Grande , 47 , , 39 , , 33.7 , , .447 , , .330 , , .824 , , 4.3 , , 6.4 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 20.0 , - , align="left" , 2017–18 , align="left" , Rio Grande , 3 , , 2 , , 26.3 , , .538 , , .500 , , .818 , , 4.7 , , 7.7 , , .3 , , .0 , , 19.0 , - , align="left" , 2018–19 , align="left" , Santa Cruz , 34 , , 25 , , 29.4 , , .404 , , .295 , , .684 , , 3.4 , , 6.2 , , .7 , , .2 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 99 , , 75 , , 31.4 , , .438 , , .314 , , .763 , , 4.0 , , 6.3 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 17.8 , - class=sortbottom !scope=row colspan=13 , Source:

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 38.5 , , .551 , , .474 , , .762 , , 4.8 , , 10.2 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 30.0 , - , align="left" ,

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, align="left" , Rio Grande , 3 , , 0 , , 27.0 , , .227 , , .250 , , – , , 2.0 , , 2.7 , , .7 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" ,

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, align="left" , Rio Grande , 9 , , 9 , , 41.3 , , .458 , , .296 , , .675 , , 4.4 , , 7.9 , , 1.9 , , .1 , , 23.3 , - , align="left" ,

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, align="left" , Rio Grande , 2 , , 2 , , 32.0 , , .400 , , .200 , , .750 , , 4.5 , , 6.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 12.5 , - , align="left" ,

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, align="left" , Santa Cruz , 2 , , 2 , , 29.0 , , .444 , , .273 , , .667 , , 2.0 , , 6.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 22 , , 19 , , 36.6 , , .469 , , .333 , , .717 , , 4.0 , , 7.5 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 20.8 , - class=sortbottom !scope=row colspan=13 , Source:

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;",

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, 32 , , 19 , , 24.3 , , .406 , , .179 , , .630 , , 1.8 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 34 , , 34.8 , , .489 , , .250 , , .715 , , 4.0 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 6.7* , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 15.0 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 67 , , 53 , , 29.8 , , .469 , , .223 , , .695 , , 2.9 , , 4.8 , , .8 , , .1 , , 9.9 , - class=sortbottom !scope=row colspan=13 , Sources:

Death

Morris died in Los Angeles on May 2, 2024, at the age of 33. His cause of death was reported as

coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), or ischemic heart disease (IHD), is a type of cardiovascular disease, heart disease involving Ischemia, the reduction of blood flow to the cardiac muscle due to a build-up ...

with drug and alcohol use as contributing factors. He was interred at

Inglewood Park Cemetery Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there. History The proposed establishment of "the larges ...

.Darius Aaron Morris
/ref>

References

External links

*
NBA D-League profile

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Darius 1991 births 2024 deaths 21st-century African-American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in Russia American men's basketball players Basketball players from Los Angeles BC Enisey players BCM Gravelines players Brooklyn Nets players Guangdong Southern Tigers players Los Angeles Clippers players Los Angeles D-Fenders players Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players Memphis Grizzlies players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Philadelphia 76ers players Point guards Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Santa Cruz Warriors players Windward School alumni Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in China