Former NBA guard Darius Morris, who played in the league from 2011-15, has passed away at age 33, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 41st overall pick in the 2011 draft, Morris began his professional career with the Lakers after playing his college ball at Michigan.
The Los Angeles native appeared in 67 regular season games for the Lakers over the next two seasons, averaging 3.6 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per contest. He made a pair of starts and averaged 26.3 MPG during the team’s first-round playoff series in 2013, a four-game sweep at the hands of the Spurs.
After his contract with the Lakers expired, Morris spent time with the Sixers, Clippers, and Grizzlies during the 2013/14 season, then made 38 appearances with the Nets in ’14/15. That was his last season in the NBA, though he was invited to the Pelicans’ training camp in 2018 and spent several more years competing in the G League and various international leagues in China, Russia, and France. He last played in 2020.
Our condolences go out to Morris’ friends and family.