Darius Morris Dies at 33; Former NBA Player Drafted by Lakers in 2011
Former NBA guard Darius Morris, who starred at Michigan before being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011, has died at the age of 33.
Morris' family confirmed his death in a statement to TMZ Sports.
"With great sadness we announce the passing of our dearly beloved son, Darius Aaron Morris," the statement read. "During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
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Morris played two seasons with the Wolverines, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2010-2011. He averaged 15.0 points, 6.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game during his sophomore season before jumping to the NBA.
The Lakers selected Morris with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He played his first two NBA seasons with L.A., notably suiting up for 48 games (19 starts) in 2012-13. Morris averaged 10.5 points and 3.0 assists in the Lakers' first-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs, starting two of the team's four games.
Morris then spent the 2013-14 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. His final NBA campaign came in 2014-15 when he played 38 games for the Brooklyn Nets.
Morris kept playing professionally from 2016 to 2020 with stops in the G League (Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Santa Cruz Warriors), overseas (China, Russia and France) and NBA summer league (San Antonio Spurs).
