Reloaded: The Final Chapter for Adam Morrison.

[RMJH4]

Reloaded: The Final Chapter for Adam Morrison

"AMMO"



In the sports world, a 30-year-old Adam Morrison is a former NCAA scoring champion, an NBA lottery pick with two world championship rings. He's a guy who hoops fans argue is either one of the greatest college basketball players of all time or one of the biggest disappointments in NBA history. Then there's this other Adam Morrison, the one who's now wrapping up his bachelor's degree with his sights set on a coaching career like his Dad, or maybe one last roll of the dice on getting back into the NBA.

By the end of the winter of 2006, Morrison was one of the most famous athletes, college, pro or otherwise, in America. Or maybe he was one of the most famous people in America. It was tough to tell if you were in the Northwest during the mania of that year. There was a national curiosity with Spokane's unlikely hoops hero, the magnitude of which was hard to gauge.
Morrison was leading the nation in scoring, often doing so with an intensity and throwback style that made him the darling of SportsCenter.

Basketball fans were captivated and lobbed haphazard Larry Bird comparisons. The narrative of that season followed Morrison and Duke's J.J. Redick as they battled for the scoring title, Player of the Year honours and other accolades. The two eventually would wind up sharing the cover of Sports Illustrated.



Rival student sections, however, ruthlessly mocked him. Maybe those kids had it out for the guy because of the moustache or the hair, but more likely, it was the fact that, as he did at Loyola Marymount on a February afternoon that season, he could drop 37 points on your team — in one half.

Gonzaga, Spokane and specifically Adam Morrison became the center of the college basketball world for a time. For Morrison, it was more than he bargained for when he set out to play college basketball.

"I enjoyed the basketball part of it, but not the insanity of not being able to go anywhere. I felt like I couldn't go anywhere without stopping 15 times for a photo or an autograph," says Morrison.



While he weathered what he called a "circus," some looked at his approach to the notoriety and labelled Morrison an introvert. Or worse, some even called him rude if he — just 21 years old and largely unprepared for the fame — didn't respond how people expected.

"I'm not saying I'm not grateful, but if you came across wrong to one person, then you're a jerk to the whole city," he says.

Things weren't much easier on that front when the Charlotte Bobcats, under the front-office instruction of Michael Jordan, selected him with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. Expectations were high, and while Morrison performed solidly during his rookie season, he blew out his ACL in the following preseason and had to sit out the entire 2007-08 campaign.

When he returned, Morrison saw his playing time dwindle. Eventually he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where playing time was even tougher to come by on a wildly talented team. He was, however, part of two championship teams and was credited by Kobe Bryant as a fierce competitor in practice.



After being released by the Lakers and then failing to make the Washington Wizards in the 2010-11 season, Morrison took a break from basketball. By the next September, though, he was ready to come back.

"I felt like playing again," he says of a career resurrection that saw him play in Belgrade and Istanbul during the 2011-12 season and later in the 2012 NBA Summer League.

It was a couple of weeks into the 2012-13 basketball season at Mead High School when head coach Glenn Williams says Morrison began hanging around the gym. As Williams tells it, Morrison kept his distance, sitting against a wall while the kids ran drills.

Just two months prior, Morrison had been with the Portland Trail Blazers' preseason squad. He'd shown up at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas that year and torched opponents, averaging about 20 points even after two years away from the league, during which he had played in Europe. The Blazers gave him a shot with the team, but no guaranteed contract. Seeing limited playing time throughout the preseason, Morrison was released and returned to Spokane, where he'd bought a house the previous year.



Disillusioned but still loving the game, Adam was attending a Portland Blazers game in March 2013. The Blazers had just been eliminated from the playoff race following a spate of injuries late in the season. A fellow Spokane resident bumped into Adam after the game. He was a camera-man for TNT. He said “Hey Adam, one of our guys is up in the pressbox and would like to talk to you.”

It was Reggie Miller. They stopped to chat and ended up continuing the conversation in a local restaurant. Inevitably talking basketball. Reggie a renowned competitor could see the fight and fire still in Adams eyes. As Adam opened up to Reggie on the disappointment of being cut by the Blazers, it struck a chord with Reggie. Reggie vowed to help Adam get back into the NBA.

But not this coming season (2013-14). The goal was the 2014-15 season. It would be a long road, but Reggie had a vision. He had contacts. Guys to work out with. Guys that were able to prolong their careers in the NBA like himself, Ray Allen and John Stockton from Spokane. Miller had a hectic travel schedule with TNT but he promised he could make it work.

“He was determined to play in the NBA. Even though he had been cut again. He didn’t want to play in the D-League, so he decided to take the time to tailor his game to be a good role player in the NBA. He knew now what was needed to make the cut, and he needed help to reach that goal. I almost came back with the Celtics in 2007 at age 42. I nearly did it in a few months, Adam has worked hard for a year, and only now is turning 30. ” Said Miller.



Sometimes Morrison says he feels a little older than his 30 years. His knee — the one he injured in Charlotte, the one that very well may have been the reason his career never reached a level some figured it might — bothers him a little after a long workout. But not too bad, he insists, it’s the best he’s felt in 3 years. His diabetes means he needs to always focus on his fitness, so he's keeping that in mind.

"I've been around the world, I've done a lot of things that basketball has provided me with. Now, I want to move into the next phase while I'm still young. The hunger is still there. My shot is still there. The knowledge of the game is still there. I feel revitalised, reloaded. Now I need a team to let me show I can still contribute and let me start the last final chapter of my career."

[RMJH4]

Early Season Injuries Pile Up for Pacers, Thunder and Lakers


Kevin Durant is an enormous loss for the Thunder, and is joined on the sidelines by several other Thunder players including Russell Westbrook.

J. Randle Lakers Fractured Leg Season
P. George Pacers Fractured Leg Season
P. Mills Spurs Torn Bicep 2-4 Months
D. Inglis Bucks Broken Ankle 2-4 Months
G. Jerrett Thunder Broken Ankle 2-4 Months
R. Westbrook Thunder Broken Thumb 6-8 Weeks
K. Durant Thunder Foot Surgery 6-8 Weeks
M. McGary Thunder Foot Fracture 6-8 Weeks
A. Morrow Thunder Strained MCL 4-6 Weeks
R. Stuckey Pacers Strained Wrist 4-6 Weeks
C. Miles Pacers Strained Calf 4-6 Weeks
J. Calderon Knicks Strained Calf 4-6 Weeks
A. Bargnani Knicks Hamstring 4-6 Weeks
B. Beal Wizards Strained Wrist 4-6 Weeks
W. Ellington Lakers Back Spasms 4-6 Weeks
N. Young Lakers Strained Wrist 4-6 Weeks
G. Hill Pacers Bruised Knee 1-2 Weeks


Paul George suffered an horrific leg fracture during the summer with Team USA. His injury completely derails the Pacers season.


With this ever growing list of injured players, the Developmental League will be used regularly in the opening 3 months. There are a large number of openings for free agents to make their mark on short contracts.

[RMJH4]

4am Morrisons Home - Spokane

I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing in my ears, something I had grown quite accustomed to after over a year with Reggie organising my workouts and meetings with ex NBA players. I expected it to be Reggie, but it was a voice with a strong Indiana twang. I didn't recognise him at first but as he spoke it became quite clear.

"Adam?" His voice echoed in my ear.

"Yes Sir? What is it?" I said.

"Well, I hear you have been working hard behind the scenes for over a year now. You think you still have something left in the tank?"

"What? How do you know this? Reggie is sworn to silence on that. Is this one of Reggies friends?" I said.

"Oh it has a little to do with Reggie alright. He's got a lot of pull around these parts. I bumped into him last week and he said I should bring you over for a workout."

"Really? I'll be honest with you I have no idea who I am speaking too, It is 4am though Sir. The timing is a little unusual. But if this is a serious call I'd like to know!" I said.

"Sheesz Kid Its Larry Bird. And yes this sure as hell is a serious phone call. I'm sure you are aware we have had a spate of injuries this season. PG, and now Stuckey and CJ Miles."

"Mr Bird, I'm incredibly sorry, I'm only half awake here. Can you give me a moment to get out of bed?" I said.

I put the call on hold, and jumped out of bed quietly. Don't want to wake the wife or the kids. I look in the mirror in the bathroom, and throw some water on my face. Damn, this if for real, Im not dreaming. Pull yourself together Adam, its Larry Freaking Bird on the phone!

"Wow Mr Bird, Now this is out of nowhere." I said.

"Listen I've been talking to Reggie and he has been pushing you really hard. I've been keeping tabs on you for over 2 years now. I want to give you another shot in the big leagues. Over here in Indiana. I think we have a lot in common, or at least SportsCenter seemed to think so back in 2006!"

"Yeah well I never believed the hype but to mentioned in the same breath as you is certainly an honour Mr Bird, your game truly inspired mine." I said.

"Well if your interested, I can arrange some flights over here. Will your family be ok if you come over for a few days? Our next game is at home, so we will be based here for another few days at least. There are some guys and trainers I want you to work with."

"I have my notebook somewhere. I'll sort it out with them tomorrow Sir." I said.

"Hey Adam, just relax and let your game do the talking."

"Thanks Mr Bird" I said.

"Call me Larry, kid. Good night."

It was unbelievable, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After all the work I put in, after all my dedication to my studies and this training, it might finally be my time again, but did Larry Bird really think I was ready to make a comeback? More importantly, did I think I was ready?

The phone clicked, as the dial tone rang in my ear. I was still in shock. After all the time planning and training and travelling for workouts, I had my shot at the bigtime. Thank you Reggie.

In the words of Reggie himself, Its Winning Time Now.

[RMJH4]

[njdevils14]

Following, seems pretty cool

[Yeezus123]

Because of this, I decided to make Adam Morrison! Definitely following!

[RMJH4]

Quote: Originally Posted by njdevils14

Following, seems pretty cool

Thanks man, Im hoping of doing something similar to my Pat Ewing Jr dynasty here. Might tweet Adam when it gets up and running. Pat Ewing Jr actually read mine and messaged me on here!

Quote: Originally Posted by Yeezus123

Because of this, I decided to make Adam Morrison! Definitely following!

Good stuff, proving difficult to get the right cyberface now, but I have a backup plan. Just setting up the roster and association right now. Thanks for following!

[RMJH4]

Pacers sign Adam Morrison to 10 Day Contract.

The Indiana Pacers have formally announced the signing of the 3rd pick of the 2006 draft, Adam Morrison. Morrison has been officially retired for the last two seasons. However Morrison has been wokring out and being trained by former Pacers legend and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.

Larry Bird has been carefully monitoring progress of these workouts with the former lottery pick. And now with a plethora of injuries to the Pacers squad, Morrison gets an incredible opportunity to get some playing time to prove himself.

Morrison has picked the #33 uniform. This is Danny Granger's former number, and also the former number of our GM Larry Bird. Morrison has worn this number before in the EuroLeague 3 seasons ago. Morrison originally wore #3 with Gonzaga, #35 with the Bobcats and #6 with the Lakers.

When asked why he chose #33, Morrison simply cited his "Respect for GM Larry Bird, and a new beginning in the NBA" as being the reason he selected it. Here's hoping as Pacers fans "Ammo" can make an impact right away.