Family shares devastation as former NBA guard dies aged 33
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at just 33 years old.
Darius Morris, a former NBA guard, passed away at the age of just 33. Although the cause of death is unknown, it is known that his body was discovered in Los Angeles on Thursday. The family of the former LA Lakers star confirmed his tragic loss in a statement given toTMZ.
“(It is) with great sadness we announce the passing of our dearly beloved son, Darius Aaron Morris,” they said.
“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
Morris was drafted to the Lakers with a second-round pick in 2011, becoming a teammate of the late great Kobe Bryant for the first two years of his career before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
He also had stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets for a total of 132 games at the top level, where he averaged 3.3 points, one rebound and 1.4 assists per game.
Following his four-year career in the NBA, Morris spent time playing for teams in France, China, Russia and the NBA G League.
The talented guard last played professional basketball in 2020.
The Lakers posted a tribute to their former player on Sunday morning.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of Darius Morris,” they said in a post.
The college from which he was drafted to the NBA, the University of Michigan, also shared its heartbreak.
“The Michigan basketball community mourns the passing of Darius Morris,” it said.
Darius Aaron Morris was an American professional basketball player who played from January 3, 1991, to May 2, 2024. Morris, a point guard, was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 41st overall choice in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Along with the Los Angeles D-Fenders and Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League, he also played for the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He performed abroad as well, in France, Russia, and China.
Morris played collegiate basketball for the Michigan Wolverines for two seasons.
He led the Big Ten in assists while playing for the 2010–11 squad, and he also set the record for the most assists in a single season at Michigan (since surpassed by Trey Burke). In his sophomore year, he was named to the third team of the Big Ten.
Morris won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 5A State John Wooden High School Player of the Year Award in 2009 and guided Windward School to the state championship, before enrolling at Michigan.
He was chosen by the coaches and media to be on the third team of the 2010–11 All-Big Ten. He was selected to the Big Ten conference’s second team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.